PCB requests ICC to take action against Malcolm speed
Furious with Malcolm Speed's disparaging statement against the PCB and its Chairman Ijaz Butt on the John Howard issue, the Pakistan Cricket Board has taken a strong notice and has sent a letter to ICC President Sharad Pawar.
The letter has demanded a strong action against Malcolm Speed for his remarks which has caused a stir in the cricketing world. After Pakistan’s refusal to support John Howard for the position of ICC’s vice-president, Speed came out in support of Howard and defended him as a strong candidate for the position. Malcolm Speed, while talking to reporters in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Singapore-c3005, termed the PCB chairman as a “buffoon” while criticizing the politicized cricketing structure of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Speed not only lashed at the PCB but was critical about the functioning of the Bangladesh Cricket Board as well. Moreover, Speed described the Pakistan team as “a basket case”.
The PCB initially refused to comment and claimed it was still verifying different media reports. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nadeem-Sarwar-c78422, the spokesman for the PCB initially stated, “We will not comment on Speed's statement at this time we are in the process of confirming the statement carried in the Australian media”.
Insiders believe that Malcolm Speed’s statement has not gone well with Ijaz Butt, who has rightly taken a serious notice of it. Ijaz had asked Wasim Bari, Chief Operating Officer of PCB to write a strong letter to the ICC President Sharad Pawar, asking him to initiate an inquiry into this matter and to take strong action against the former ICC CEO.
“His outburst against the chairman of an ICC full-member country speaks volumes of his hatred against ICC member countries not towing his line. It also shows his bias against the Asian and coloured countries. The PCB would request for action against the former ICC chief executive for using derogatory remarks against Ijaz Butt”, the letter read.
Chairman of the Standing Committee on Sports in Pakistan, Mr. Iqbal Muhammad Khan was quick to criticize Speed’s statement. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747, the PCB should take this up strongly with the ICC and Cricket Australia as Speed is a former official of both bodies”. Iqbal also criticized the PCB for making such foolish managerial decisions that would allow others to point fingers at them.
Former Test Legend http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Rashid-Latif-c84084 also criticized Malcolm Speed by saying that no one had any right to make personal attacks on anyone. Rashid said, “If I was Butt, I would sue Speed for defamation”.
PCB also stressed on the fact that if Speed is given a free hand, the game will get a bad name. Speed got criticism for his foolish statement against the PCB and its cricket team which is religiously followed in Pakistan. They may have different internal issues, but will not allow any interference from outside.
“It is a test case for Sharad Pawar as he has just taken over and the fact remains that Speed is no longer an ICC official and free to air his views on any issue”, another PCB source claimed.
PCB is in no mood to let go Malcolm Speed for his immature statements. Some sources from within the board told that http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 Cricket Board.
Interestingly, Speed had also criticized Pawar for the very same reason. Speed said that if Howard was rejected because of ‘inexperience’, than Pawar is also unqualified for the job of President since he knows “little about cricket administration”. It will be interesting to see what course of action Pawar takes against this growing controversy.
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