Sethi: Latif not made PCB anti-corruption head due to ICC

Najam Sethi, head of Pakistan Cricket Board's executive committee, on Saturday said that International Cricket Council had reservations when the PCB contemplated appointing former Test captain Rashid Latif as the head of its anti-corruption unit.

Rashid Latif (in picture) has backed Danish Kaneria after the latter's ban from international cricket due to involvement in spot fixing.

A senior official of Pakistan Cricket Board on Saturday said that International Cricket Council had reservations when the PCB contemplated appointing former Test captain Rashid Latif as the head of its anti-corruption unit. Najam Sethi, who heads the PCB’s executive committee, said on a show on Geo News channel that Latif was initially offered the post of chief selector in late 2014.

“But Rashid told us he was also interested in heading the anti-corruption unit of the PCB. But our chief operating officer, Subhan Ahmad told me this would not be possible because the ICC had its reservations,” Sethi said.

“The ICC apparently conveyed its reservations to us by asking whether the PCB was bringing in Rashid to head the ACU even though he had supported Danish Kaneria and spoken in his favour,” Sethi added.

Sethi said when Rashid, 47, was asked about this, he remained quiet. The wicketkeeper-batsman, who played 37 Tests and 166 ODIs, was captain in two separate tenures. Sethi also spoke on the life ban on Kaneria and said the PCB had remained quiet since a High Court in London had given a decision against the legspinner.

Only professional managers for board affairs

He also dismissed demands for appointing former cricketers to run board affairs. “Cricketers cannot run board affairs. In all cricket playing nations this is done by professional managers. Cricketers are utilised for cricketing matters which we also do,” he said.

Sethi was also critical at the calls to sack the PCB chairman every time the national team suffered a defeat. “In every cricket-playing nation it is the captain and coach who are held responsible and given credit for the team’s performance. Everywhere the captain and coach face the music if results are poor. Nowhere are there demands for the chairman to be removed,” he said.

He also made it clear that the Board had appointed no coaching committee to appoint the new head coach of the national team. “Wasim Akram and Ramiz Raja have been asked by the chairman to give their advice because of their international exposure and contacts. But there is no committee to select the coach. This will be done by the board chairman,” he said.