QUERIES ON WORKING OF BOG: NA committee fumes over PCB’s response

ISLAMABAD: The members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) were unhappy at the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) response to their recent queries on the working of the Board of Governors (BoGs) and their handling of important matters surfacing every now and then.

Agha Hasan Baloch, chairman of the committee, said the reply furnished by the PCB on a recent letter addressed to PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani regarding BoG meeting held in Quetta was unsatisfactory and incomplete.

“Tell your chairman that we are not satisfied with your answers. What we want is accurate and relevant answers.”

Agha Hasan said a meeting will be arranged in Lahore in the second week of July to get actual update on all the matters including the BoG meeting held in Quetta and the PCB’s decisions following that meeting.

“We were expecting PCB chairman Ehsan Mani and dual nationality holder Wasim Khan here in the meeting. Both should have been here. Make sure that both would be there when we hold the meeting in Lahore in July. We would also be needing update on the BoG member case that is pending in the court,” Agha asked PCB Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmed, who attended the meeting on Board’s behalf.

PCB COO clarified that Nauman Butt, one of the members was not suspended but barred from participating in BoG meeting due to his outburst in media. “Talking to media without any prior approval of the concerned authorities is against the signed agreement. Nauman Butt is facing a disciplinary action.”

The NA committee members were also furious on chief selector’s Inzamamul Haq’s unnecessary trips with the national team.

“Once he has selected the team he should leave everything to tour selection committee. Why he is touring with the team” Does he want good TA/DA and tours? Why he is accompanying the team? Such practice should be discouraged,” Iqbal Mohammad Ali, MNA from Karachi, said.

Subhan, however, had no solid reasons to satisfy the NA committee on Inzamam’s joy trips that had nothing to do with team performance.

“These tours are just the waste of money. Inzamam should not be allowed to take such pleasure trips,” the member added.

Iqbal was also concerned over the dual nationality of majority of the PCB officials. “There is no Pakistani national capable for these jobs,” he said.

To a question on Shahid Afridi’s recent book that reveals that manger Yawar Saeed was told about the possibility of spot-fixing during the 2010 England tour, Subhan said since Yawar Saeed was no more, it was difficult to check the authenticity of the claim.