ACC discusses budget cuts in Lahore meeting

Asian cricket body to chalk out plans for ‘wise’ spending of reduced funds.

KARACHI: Deduction in funds of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) as a consequence of the establishment of the ‘Big Three’ in the International Cricket Council (ICC) was a key agenda in the ACC  development committee meeting held in Lahore on Tuesday.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi headed the meeting at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), while other participants included PCB Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmed, ACC Chief Executive Ashraf ul Haq, Bandula Warnapura (ACC Development Manager) and others.

“The proposed changes in the ICC will now hit the ACC because its budget will now be cut down,” an official, who attended the meeting, told The Express Tribune.

“Presently, there is a divided opinion among members on whether to support countries such as Iran or China where cricket isn’t taken seriously.

“There is a strong feeling that the reduced budget means that the ACC will now have to spend wisely only in countries where cricket thrives.”

It has also been learnt that the ongoing saga in
Nepal about the non-payment of World Twenty20 dues to the country’s cricket team was also discussed extensively.

“We’ve learnt that the payment has been made to the Nepal Cricket Association,” said the official. “However, the higher officials there are not distributing the money to the players and the ACC will look into the matter in order to maintain transparency.”

‘PCB, government should continue efforts’

Talking to The Express Tribune, ACC Chief Executive Haq stressed that it was up to the PCB and the government to make efforts for the return of international cricket.

Haq said that that there were fears regarding Bangladesh hosting Asia Cup and World Twenty20, but the country managed to put up a good show due to coordination between Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and authorities.

“We want international cricket to return to Pakistan, but PCB and the government would have to go all out to reinstall confidence in international teams.

“It might take six months, a year or two years but the stakeholders must make some move by welcoming teams even like Nepal or the UAE to Pakistan,” concluded Haq.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 16^th, 2014.

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