Pakistan Cricket Board silent over leaked tapes
A day after the footage from the Pakistan Cricket Board’s inquiry committee was aired on a private sports channel the cricket board remains defiant. It claims that they had already completed their probe and subsequently dished out punishments including fines and bans to the offending players. The Chief Operating officer of PCB, Wasim Bari kept a straight bat when asked about the board’s reaction to the sensational revelations that shocked the cricket fans around the country. Wasim said that the PCB had done its bid, and is not bothered about the leakage of the footage, which according to him is a conspiracy against the board and its officials.
He added that an appellate tribunal was currently going through the probe, as all six players had appealed against the punishments imposed on them, hence he was not in a position to get into the details of the matter. The COO himself headed the committee that probed the ill-fated tour of Australia. Pakistan was down and out in their tour down under, losing an unprecedented white wash at the hands of the Australian team. The shameful incidents included three tests, five ODI’s and a solitary T-20.
Subsequently, the PCB set up a probe committee. After weeks of speculations, bans and fines were handed down to six players which included captain Mohammad Yousuf, former captain Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, all-rounder Rana Naveed, Umar Akmal and Kamran Akmal. Rana and Shoaib Malik who were both banned for one year, besides being heavily fined. The cause of disagreement was the very formation of the committee that included members of the cricket board and the most controversial manager of the team in recent years, Yawar Saeed.
Most of the former players and board officials hold Yawar Saeed as the man responsible for the wrong doings of the players. Sources privy to the players have accused him of creating disunity and disharmony amongst the national players. During the probe, the most shocking allegations were levied against wicket keeper Kamran Akmal, when both the head coach and assistant coach accused him of deliberately under performing in the second test. Kamran Akmal dropped four easy catches besides missing a straight forward run out opportunity.
Nevertheless, the PCB did not reveal the statements of the players and officials, choosing only to give details of the punishments that they had vetted against the players.
Subsequently, the players were asked to submit their appeals. Younis Khan's lawyer asked for a media trial of the players saying that his client is willing to appear in public and answer all the allegations levied against him. However, the judge of the appellate tribunal turned down his request, as he claimed that the in-camera proceedings would be conducted.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan team is set to return home after their T20 World Cup campaign tomorrow. Captain of the team Shahid Afridi will be questioned on his statements on the selection of the team for the tournament.
Afridi, who was made the captain after the announcement of the squad for the event, was aggrieved for not being consulted in choosing the players. He had added that it was not his responsibility if the team failed. The all-rounder who led the team to the semi-finals of the tournament had asked for the inclusion of batsman Shahzeb Hasan, but chief selector Mohsin Khan overturned his request. Mohsin is set to meet Chairman PCB Ijaz Butt in the next day or two and give his assessment of the team that played in the T20 World Championship. Some interesting moves are on the cards in the coming days as the big bad world of the Pakistan Cricket Board continues to amaze us.
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