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| PCB should use ICL card to ensure India tour |
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Wednesday, November 26, 2008
By Khalid Hussain
KARACHI: When just a few days after taking over as PCB’s Director General, Javed Miandad accused the Indian cricket board of using bullying tactics and declared that Pakistan is facing immense public pressure to pardon their Indian Cricket League (ICL) rebels, it seemed as if he had given the Board yet another headache with a careless outburst.
After all, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wants to remain in the good books of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at a time when the Indians are showing reluctance about touring Pakistan because of security apprehensions for what is an all-important series for Pakistan.
But take a closer look at Miandad’s comments and it will become apparent that the shrewd schemer has played a well-timed shot by reminding BCCI about its ICL problem.
By announcing that the PCB is under pressure to lift the ban over 18 of its cricketers who defected to the ‘rebel’ ICL, Miandad’s hidden message to the BCCI is that it is time India repaid Pakistan over their unmatched support on the ICL issue and make it sure that MS Dhoni and company visit Pakistan for what is a much-awaited series.
The ICL card is the only pressure tool that Pakistan can use to save its ‘iconic’ home series against India from getting cancelled, postponed or moved to some offshore venues.
And the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt should use it well when he visits India early next month to convince the authorities there to send their team to Pakistan. One believes, he will.
It is quite evident that Pakistan cannot afford not to host the India series. It would be a nightmare if that happened because of all that Pakistan cricket has gone through in 2008 so far.
Following Australia’s decision to ‘postpone’ their tour of Pakistan in March-April this year and later the switching of the ICC Champions Trophy to next year came as deadly blows. If the India series suffers a similar fate, it would be another huge setback for Pakistan cricket which is already in knee-deep trouble.
The Indians should be well-aware of the importance of the series. And it’s about time that they come to Pakistan’s rescue. It certainly is payback time.
The BCCI senior officials have been saying that their hands are tied and it would their government’s call over whether the cricket team should tour Pakistan. It may be true, but the BCCI has a lot of clout in India and if it wants the tour to go ahead, a government clearance shouldn’t be a problem. After all, India came here for the Asia Cup this summer when the security situation here wasn’t worse than its now. Like Pakistan, India itself has been a target of terrorism and should identify with their neighbor’s problem.
If not, then Butt should raise the ICL issue.
After all, Pakistan have been suffering since the day ICL got underway last year and have lost top quality players like Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq to the league which is bitterly rivaled by BCCI’s Indian Premier League (IPL).
It’s an open secret that the PCB banned all of its ICL rebels ‘from all cricket’ on the insistence of BCCI. The Board continues to keep a rigid stance even as countries like Sri Lanka and England have opted against banning their ICL players.
It should change its stance towards the ICL if the BCCI fails to ensure that its team will play three Tests, five One-day Internationals and Twenty20 International as per schedule. It might seem like a tough decision considering the fact that India is currently the most influential player on the world cricket stage. But not if you consider the alternative ñ playing the series on neutral soil. Imagine if India will not come to play cricket in Pakistan, then you can’t expect other leading teams like Australia (who are supposed to come here next spring), South Africa or England to tour Pakistan in the near future.
Pakistan cricket is on sickbed right now. For an early recovery it needs a shot in the arm which only the home series against India can provide. If that series doesn’t take place, things will only get worse for it in the future.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
