LAHORE: Najam Sethi on Wednesday expressed reluctance to carry out his duties as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) interim chairman, saying he could lead change in the Board only after receiving the detailed judgment of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on the appointment of interim chairman by the prime minister.
People are asking me to make changes in the selection committee and in other PCB departments, on which we have been holding discussions for the last three days. However, I can work on these proposed changes once the IHC gives the detailed decision on my appointment, said PCBs interim chairman Sethi after presiding over the first Governing Board (GB) meeting at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) here on Wednesday.
I dont want to do any work [as interim PCB chief], just to get criticised from someone tomorrow that I cant do this or that work. I have told the honourable judge of the IHC that a new-look selection committee is to be formed and various other functions are to be done none of which I can do without his permission.
Though the honourable judge agreed and told me that I have 90 days [to work as interim chief] and to make amendment in the constitution in order to make it democratic and take every stakeholder into confidence for holding elections for the post of PCB chief.
But I can consider doing all this once I receive the detailed judgment that will specify my role, Sethi insisted. Presently, we dont know the status of this PCB constitution, whether or not it is suspended.
Under these circumstances, a decision of the Sindh High Court (SHC) also came on a writ petition from ex-Test cricketer Rashid Latif on Wednesday, which also has put some restrictions on the interim chairman.
Tafazzul Rizvi, PCB146s legal adviser, announced during the media briefing that he came to know through media reports that the SHC had also passed an interim order on the writ of Rashid.
On the financial side of the PCB, Sethi said though the Board146s next budget for the fiscal year 2013-14 was not discussed in Wednesdays meeting he had asked chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed to continue working on the recommendations for the budget, keeping curtailing expenditure as the top priority.
Sethi also hinted at downsizing in the PCB, saying: Belt has to be tightened in all affairs.
He also clarified that it was not a secret meeting but an emergency one.
I read a press report that the PCB is going to hold a secret meeting. Let me clarify that this is not a secret but an emergency meeting because I wanted to meet the GB members to discuss certain matters. I believe in maintaining transparency in all affairs, Sethi stressed.
Meanwhile, Subhan said the GB discussed the agenda of the previous meeting, which could not be held in Karachi more than a month ago, as the IHC had instructed then PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf to refrain from working.
The GB approved the code of conduct for the general body meeting and introduced a new code of conduct for match officials as umpires and officials had no code earlier.
In accordance with the past practice, Sethi emphasised, the process of selling TV rights for international cricket (involving Pakistan) would be completed in a transparent manner. In this regard, we have availed free-of-charge services of former ICC president Ehsan Mani.
The GB also appreciated the steps taken by Sethi for persuading the ICC to show sympathy for young fast bowler Mohammad Aamir, currently banned for spot-fixing.
Sethi, meanwhile, said on the advice of the GB members he was going to the West Indies for five, six days to witness the performance of the national squad. From the West Indies I will also continue my TV programme, [a political one], he said.
Claiming he was receiving no pay from the PCB, Sethi said that was why he did not give up his TV channel assignment.
Regarding the resignation of Iqbal Qasim as chief selector not a big issue, the interim PCB chief reminded that the former Test spinner was sitting in the (Wednesday146s GB) meeting, adding he had also accepted an assignment in domestic cricket committee.
I asked Iqbal to go the West Indies to negate the impression that the tour selection committee doesnt follow the pattern [for selecting playing eleven] on which the selection committee chooses a team, but he declined citing his bank job commitments here, he said.
Meanwhile, four regional GB members Shakil Sheikh (Islamabad), Wasal Durrani (Peshawar), Mohammad Rafique (Larkana) and Qaisar Khan Jamali (Dera Murad Jamali) besides two department members namely Iqbal Qasim and Masood Anwar attended the meeting.
No comments:
Post a Comment