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PCB concerns, PTT will visit Pakistan
July 22, 2011
After the deep study of International Cricket Council (ICC) Pakistan Task Team (PTT) report to open the doors of International cricket in the Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shown their serious reservations on this report spotting out a number of factual errors in it and calling it a scholarly exercise rather than being a Pakistan-specific document.
The terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team closed the cricket doors in the country since March 2009, International Cricket Council formed a committee named Pakistan Task Team to make the recommendations how to revive the international cricket in Pakistan. The PTT also submitted their report to ICC about 38 pages having 63 recommendations mentioning the strong terms, for a resumption of cricket ties with India, recognizing it to be a key component of the fabric of Pakistan’s cricket. The report mentioning that the appointment of the PCB chairman by the country's president as highly unusual, and wants an end to the government's undue interference in the Pakistan Cricket Board.
In the 38 pages report on Pakistan revival for international cricket, the PTT made a number of recommendations about the PCB, including national team selection. The report had recommended what amounted to a root and branch reform of the game in Pakistan, calling on a range of macro and micro changes to how the game is run there.
But this Pakistan Task Force submitted this report without consultation with the Pakistan Cricket Board top heads as PCB raised serious questions and criticized the ICC Pakistan Task Team's (PTT) report to saying that the entire report which submitted the International Cricket Council has been prepared without PTT ever visiting Pakistan.
The PTT made only conversation with Ramiz Raja who is also member of Pakistan Task Team in January 2011 in Karachi where ICC general manager David Richardson had some chit chat about the Pakistan cricket issues. ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat didn’t make visit since last one year as Mr. Lorgat visited Pakistan before the 2010 World Twenty20, a visit during which issues related to international cricket in Pakistan were discussed with board and government officials.
Mike Brearley and Greg Chappell as ambassadors of Pakistan cricket are also highlighted in the response, for the apparent lack of involvement they have had. While appreciating the appointment, the board says "we are yet to observe any endeavours from their side. Although, with their standing in international cricket, they could have gone a long way in supporting cricket in Pakistan. We still welcome them to come to Pakistan and expect that they will now play a proactive role in supporting the return of international cricket to Pakistan."
This observation, on the return of international cricket, is likely to be the source of growing contention between the ICC and Pakistan. In the original terms of reference of the PTT, the focus was on ensuring that Pakistan didn't suffer in the absence of international cricket at home. Reference is made to the recommendations of a security task force with regards to playing cricket in Pakistan. Since then the parameters of the PTT have grown to take in integrity and governance issues, to the extent that in the report only three of the 63 recommendations even referred to the revival of international cricket in Pakistan.
But in the wake of the release of the report, senior PTT and ICC officials have implied privately that the revival of international cricket is not the primary concern of the work; the PCB referring to it implicitly in their release, with reference to the roles of Brearley and Chappell, suggests they believe it is.
Pakistan Cricket Board in the response chosen meaningful words saying that PTT did not meet the chairman of selection committee to get his views," the board says before detailing the process of selection and the board chairman's role in it. "We therefore feel that the recommendations of the PTT that the PCB chairman has the right of veto are not based on facts. The process of selection is a time tested one and has worked for Pakistan. The view that there is interference in selection matters is therefore factually incorrect, devoid of reality and henceforth rejected adding that we respectfully disagree with PTT recommendation.
On the other hand, after appearing the serious questions and reservations from Pakistan Cricket Board, the Pakistan Task Team (PTT) intend his wish to visit to Pakistan, though details of the scope and nature of the trip as well as the timing are yet to be finalised. The criticism has especially stung the ICC though officials insist that the trip is not a direct consequence of that and had been on the cards for some time and what will be on the agenda is also not yet known by anyone.
The PTT also wish to have meeting with PCB patron in chief and President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari to solve the all issues especially the concern raised by Pakistan Cricket Board.
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