Fighting fire with fire, Ijaz Butt and ICC
Ijaz Butt is not the smartest of men to have headed the PCB over the years. Nor is he the most diplomatic or the most capable administrator the Pakistan’s Cricket Board has seen over the years. The PCB has had a spate of clashes with the ICC during Ijaz
Butt’s tenure.
In the year 2009 PCB, under Ijaz Butt, threatened to take the ICC to court following the decision by the International Cricketing council to axe http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 as a host of the 2011 World Cup. This decision was taken in the light of attacks on the Sri Lankan team
during their visit to Pakistan. Mr. Butt had promised Sri Lanka’s team presidential level security, but disastrously failed to do so. The dispute between the PCB and the ICC was resolved out of court, however, the relations continued to simmer.
They reached their boiling point in the aftermath of the spot fixing allegations made by a British Tabloid, News of the World. The ICC slapped a provisional suspension on three players, who were at the centre of the controversy, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif
and Mohammad Amir. Mr. Butt expressed disappointment at the decision of the ICC since he argued the findings of the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Scotland-c756 Yard report were not received by the ICC, who went on to suspend the players.
It is imperative to note, that the ECB Chairman, Giles Clarke, went out of his way this summer to accommodate Pakistan and providing them with the ECB’s facilities to host a ‘home’ series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746. He has also been a staunch supporter of cricket
returning to the country, proposing an ICC World eleven to visit the trouble ridden country in an attempt to revive cricket back in Pakistan. Ijaz Butt and his childish outburst against the English team alleging them to have taken ‘enormous’ amounts of money
to lose the third ODI match at Oval, has left the relations between the PCB and the ECB hanging by a thread.
The recent comments made by the chairman of Pakistan’s cricket Board has certainly left a bad taste in the mouth of the cricket fans and most importantly the English Cricket Board that has bent over backwards to accommodate Pakistan. Giles http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 also heads
the task force for the revival of cricket in Pakistan and despite the spot fixing allegations made by a British Tabloid, he insisted that it would not hamper their efforts to revive cricket in the volatile country.
If Ijaz Butt has credible evidence that implicates the English players in accepting money to lose the Oval ODI then he must present it to the ICC. However, if he is unable to do that, then the ECB will have all the right to take the PCB to court over the
unjustified remarks of Ijaz Butt, and cricket fans in Pakistan can only hope that these remarks are treated as nothing more than a rant of a mentally challenged child.
It would be interesting to ask Pakistan’s top performer at the Oval ODI, Umar Gul, who put up a fabulous display of bowling, having worked really hard against the English players to have his career best performance overshadowed by the remarks of the PCB
chairman.
It is the responsibility for the PCB to root out corruption from amongst their ranks, instead of misfiring allegations against the English cricketers. The cricket fans want this sport to be rid of corruption and nepotism, be it the ICC, PCB, ECB or the BCCI.
We want resolution from the ICC to be a worthy custodian. We do not want the ACSU to be a useless body, that acts only based on media ‘scoops’ that may or may not be true.
In the meanwhile, this time Mr. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ijaz-Butt-c64128 has ensured that the sweet taste of victory was marred by his childish statements that cast a shadow over Pakistan’s brilliant performance against the English players.
"There is loud and clear talk in bookie circles that some English players have taken enormous amounts of money to lose the match [the third ODI]. No wonder there was such a collapse," Mr Butt reportedly said.
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