Government's interference in PCB's business 'unacceptable'

A resolution was passed in the Annual General Meeting of the Pakistan Cricket Board, the crux of which was that government's interference in the internal affairs of the board was unacceptable.

Shaharyar Khan communicated that there were attempts to bring some competitive cricket to Pakistan.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that government interference in the internal affairs of the Board was not acceptable to it. A resolution to this effect was passed at the Annual General Meeting of the Board in Lahore the other day in which the issue of government interference in the internal matters of the PCB was discussed.

“The AGM passed an unanimous resolution stating that government interference in the internal affairs of the PCB was not acceptable because it violated the democratic PCB constitution sanctioned and approved by the Supreme Court of Pakistan and International Cricket Council (ICC),” a PCB statement said after the AGM.

The PCB resolution comes at a time when the federal minister for sports, Riaz Pirzada has been vocal in his criticism of the Board matters and officials in the national assembly. The provincial Punjab assembly also last week passed a resolution calling on the Board to be revamped.

'Diminished'

“Although the Prime Minister is the patron in chief of the PCB, after the passing of the new constitution his role is diminished on paper,” one source in the Board said.

There have been speculations that the government is considering asking PCB’s top hierarchy to step down and appoint new faces, and Pirzada told the national assembly that he had recommended the name of former Test captain Majid Khan for the chairman’s position.

The PCB has been undergoing a crisis of sorts after the national team performed badly in the Asia Cup and World T20 events recently , leading to calls for heads to roll in the Board as well after the resignations of head coach Waqar Younis and captain Shahid Afridi and the dissolution of the national selection committee.

Pakistan cricket has a history of the Board’s top officials always being picked as per wishes of the ruling party or government, including in military dictatorships.

But as per the new constitution, the chairman has to be a member of the Board of Governors and will be elected by them.

Shaharyar Khan also informed the AGM that the PCB was doing its best to revive international cricket in Pakistan and bring the Commonwealth team and some associate member countries to Pakistan for matches.