Former ICC chief Mani says PCB’s case weak against BCCI

LAHORE: Former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani has said the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) case where they have demanded compensation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for not honouring the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is weak. The 72-year-old has claimed that his sources in the ICC have told him that the chances of India paying any compensation to Pakistan are meek.

“Najam Sethi made a big mistake by signing the agreement with the Indian board,” said Mani. “He should show the agreement to everyone. Let’s see if it contains the clause of compensation. All I can say is, as told by my sources in the ICC, the PCB’s case is weak against the BCCI. The chances of BCCI paying compensation to the PCB are meek.” In the recently held PCB’s Board of Governors (BoG) meeting, the last under chairman Shaharyar Khan, it was decided that the PCB would pursue a legal case against the BCCI for not playing the agreed bilateral series. For this purpose, Rs1.5 billion were also approved by the BoG. “It will be a waste of money,” commented Mani on PCB’s move. “Also, fighting doesn’t resolve any issue.
The PCB should find a middle way. The BCC enjoys a lot of control in international cricket, they will eventually bring every country on their side and Pakistan will be left alone.”

He added that Pakistan needed to come up with an effective strategy. “India has always rued government’s disapproval of a series, but cricket never stopped between the two countries. So if they come up with the right strategy, the problem can be solved.” Mani believes Pakistan historically enjoyed respectable stature in the ICC but now they have lost their voice in the world body. “Pakistan cricket is facing international isolation,” said Mani. “Things were different in the past; we used to have our say in the ICC. Pakistan had representation in the all ICC committees, but now we have lost our voice in the council. We don’t have any referee in the ICC panel; meanwhile, Aleem Dar is the only umpire in the ICC elite umpire’s list. No one is there to help our umpires and referees get enlisted in the ICC panels because the higher officials don’t understand the system.”

Mani also seemed flabbergasted by the PCB workforce which he deems is unnecessary. “Nearly 20-25 people managed the PCB in the past but now they have a workforce of several hundred,” he said. “The officials spend a lot of money; the PCB should publish their account details on the website. They should tell the people how much money the officials have spent.” Mani, who was also Pakistan’s representative in the ICC from 1989 till 1996, said that he was offered to become a part of the PCB by Shahayar and Sethi but he refused on the grounds that he can’t work until and unless he can enjoy full authority in his position.