ACC accepts Pakistan’s stance on events calendar

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has conceded to Pakistan’s principle stance that demanded putting up all the important matters including the finalisation of events’ calendar before the Board members for deliberations and approval as any decision taken outside the established ambit would have no legal value.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi and Chief Executive Faisal Hasnain have left for Bahrain to attend the ACC Board’s meeting that will focus not only consensus on the yearly events’ calendar but also finalising the dates for the Asia Cup that Pakistan are to host in September this year.

“Sethi’s position on the calendar has been vindicated as ACC has agreed to put up all the important issues in front of the Board’s members. The ACC has accepted Pakistan’s stance and decided to put the calendar of events in the ACC Board meeting set to be held in Bahrain on tomorrow (Saturday), for the final approval” a PCB official said.

He added that the Managing Committee’s chairman has taken up a firm stance by raising the issue with member countries as well as calling for convening an immediate meeting of the ACC Board.

“The efforts made by the PCB resulted in convening ACC meetings and hence putting up all the relevant issues confronting Asian cricket in front of Board members. We believe that only the Board is a relevant forum to consider and approve events calendar as well as finalising Asia Cup dates that Pakistan are to host in September,” the official said.

The tentative schedule for Pakistan to host the Asia Cup is September 1-17.

“This is the window we have been given earlier and hopefully it will stay intact. Since we want to host the Asia Cup prior to the World Cup, early September is the best time for the purpose.”

ACC head Jay Shah’s irresponsible statement a couple of months back where he declared that the Asia Cup would now be held in the UAE, triggered controversy with the PCB declaring that they would host the event at all cost.

Later Jay Shah claimed that the PCB through an email was approached to give its consent on the events calendar. “The PCB never came up with any response, hence we took the decision on the recommendations of ACC Marketing and revealed the calendar,” Jay Shah said in a statement.

However, the PCB’s stance was later accepted as the president ACC convened a meeting on February 4 to discuss issues confronting Asian cricket.

“We are hopeful that required changes wherever these are necessary would be made in accordance with members' stance,” the PCB official said.