PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt summoned by Parliamentary committee
The beleaguered Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board, Ijaz Butt is in for tougher times as he has been summoned by the National Assembly’s standing committee on sports after the controversy prone tour of England came to an end last month.
Ijaz Butt also fanned the fire in England by claiming that the English players were involved in match and spot fixing and deliberately threw the third ODI against Pakistan at the Oval, a series that the hosts eventually won by a narrow
margin of 3-2.
He was then compelled to eat his own words for the umpteenth time in his two years tenure at the helm of the PCB when the English Cricket Board asked for an apology and threatened him with legal action.
Finally, Butt relented and apologized yet it seems that he is in for another round of questioning by the NA standing committee, who have never minced their dislike of the former Test cricketer, who many believe is the reason behind
the isolation of Pakistan cricket in the international circle.
The Chairman of the standing committee Member of the National Assembly, Iqbal Mohammad Ali has claimed that the time is rife for a change in the national cricketing set-up and drastic steps need to be taken to safeguard the image of
the game in the country.
"The hearing is being held to review the performance of the team in England, the controversies that took place in England and the way the Pakistan board has handled things so far", Iqbal Muhammad Ali, told media.
He added that "The committee wants to know the reasons for the shoddy performances and also how the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 team got entangled into such serious controversies. We also want to know the reason for Butt's statement against the England
board and his U-turn, and to review the selection process".
Ijaz Butt and his fellow members of the Board have been also asked to explain the reason behind the constant ignorance of Younis Khan.
Iqbal Mohammad Ali has time and again claimed that he would ensure that Younis returns to the team, however, time and again his efforts have been thwarted by Ijaz Butt.
Younis stays on the sidelines as he was one of the players, who were punished after the 2009-10 tour of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746.
He along with fast bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan awaits his return to the national fold while all the others, who were either banned or fined, represented the team in England.
"We want to ask the chairman to explain what crime Younis has committed that he (Butt) is not willing to give clearance to the selectors to pick Younis", Ali said.
The MNA is confident of bringing a change to the set-up of PCB and finally delivering what he has promised for the last six months or so.
So far most of his pleas have fallen on deaf affairs with the patron of the PCB, President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari adamant on retaining http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ijaz-Butt-c64128 despite some appalling decisions by him, which have compromised the future of Pakistan
cricket.
It remains to be seen what the outcome of the newest session of the parliament is, since generally the perception is that the committee only meets like a typical committee that keeps minutes and wastes hours and money.
Their role is of a watchdog, yet it seems that they can only watch and yell and not deliver anything.
Time is running out for the passionate and diehard fans of the sport in Pakistan, which has acted as a galvanizer and unifying agent, in the past.
For the time being it is perhaps at its all time low, which is parallel to the most testing time in the nation’s history, time is crying out for a change yet we don’t know if there is any one listening.
Tags: