Cricket News: ICC asks PCB to reform its act or get ready to face an axe
PCB chairman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ijaz-Butt-c64128 once again finds himself in hot waters after prospects of his sacking from the position of director of the ICC were raised during the latest ICC meeting in Dubai. The meeting seems to highlight the poor rapport
between the PCB and ICC. At the end of the meeting, Butt was reportedly forced to accept certain measures intended for the reform of Pakistan cricket. His refusal could have led to his expulsion from the ICC.
The possibility of Butt’s expulsion was raised after it came to the notice of the ICC that Mohammad Asif, who was involved in the recent infamous spot-fixing row, was being represented by the PCB’s London-based lawyer – which is
a violation of the ICC code of ethics. Additionally, the ICC is clearly unhappy with the way Butt and his board handled the spot-fixing controversy. However, the ICC board meeting concluded with the drafting of a number of remedial measures to tackle corruption
in cricket and provide assistance to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755. The meeting gave an ultimatum to the PCB to implement a series of reforms in Pakistan’s domestic cricketing structure within 30 days.
The focus of the constituted task force will be to report to the ICC regarding the PCB's efforts to combat corruption and implement anti-corruption measures in Pakistan’s domestic set-up. In case of the failure of the PCB to implement
the recommended course of action, Butt could lose his directorial position in the ICC and the PCB could face several financial sanctions. The worst-case scenario for Pakistan cricket could be in the form of a suspension of its membership in the ICC. A suspension
requires the consent of at least 75% of the members of the ICC – a threat that is real and imminent, given the disillusionment of members with Butt.
The PCB has been regularly accused of poor governance. First, the board revoked punishments handed out to Pakistani players after their disastrous tour of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746. This was followed by another catastrophic tour of England in
which Pakistani cricket was marred by a spot-fixing scandal. Butt showed characteristic stubbornness when he refused to suspend the accused players.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s former captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wasim-Akram-c96292 has lashed out at the PCB for not involving the coach and captain in the process of team selection for the forthcoming tour of the UAE. Akram said, “It's a joke to select the team
without consulting the coach and the captain. The duo has to marshal the team in the series and tournaments and it is not the selection committee which will have to bring the best out of the players on the field.” He further stated that with just a few months
left before the World Cup, the PCB is still confused about the selection of the captain of the national team. “If I was a chief selector, I would've definitely taken feedback from the coach and the captain before naming any squads. With the World Cup just
a few months away, we're still mulling over captains while other teams have their formations ready for the event. This shows poor leadership qualities in the current PCB setup.”
ODI captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 and coach Waqar Younis have complained regularly of being ignored in matters of team selection. Younis reportedly told Pakistan’s parliamentary committee that he was not taken aboard by selectors for recent
events including the World T20 in the Caribbean and the tour of England. Nonetheless, Pakistan's chief selector http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Khan-c71319 has defended his decision of not including the captain or the coach, saying that it was not specified in the PCB's constitution that
the board must do so. However, Akram believes that the fatigue from the spot-fixing row will be evident in the players’ performance. He said, “The players will be under extra stress and pressure because of the spot-fixing controversy from the last tour and
the series is going to be a tough test for them both on and off the field.”
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