August 30, 2008	Saturday	Sha'aban 27, 1429

LAHORE, Aug 29: Some members of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s international cricket sub-committee have expressed their reservation over the Board’s Chief Operating Officer Shafqat Naghmi’s unilateral decision of negotiating with different cricket boards to decide any series after the postponement of the Champions Trophy.

There have been reports that PCB initiated a move to take part in a quadrangular series in South Africa featuring India, Australia, Pakistan and the hosts.

But India, preferring to give sufficient time to its players to ready themselves for the forthcoming tough home series against Australia, refused to play the series.

Dawn has learned that PCB’s International Cricket Committee members have raised objections over the matter and they would also convey their sentiments to Naghmi with advice to avoid any series in the absence of a chairman. The members are also angry that the COO bypassed the committee before starting negotiations with different boards.

They were of the view that it is the Governing Board that has the power to decide the series and the COO is an employee of the board who has been appointed by the Governing Board.

Under PCB’s current constitution, it consists of a Governing Board and a General Body (read article 3 (I) of part II of the constitution). The chief operating officer doesn’t form the Board and is only an employee of the PCB.

Under the prevailing constitution, he was appointed by the Governing Board and, therefore, he was bound to take permission from the Board before indulging in such practices. Furthermore, there already is a committee headed by Ali Raza with Ijaz Butt and Intikhab Alam as members which looks after all international cricket affairs.

Ijaz, one of the members of the committee, said the COO did not consult him over any new assignment for Pakistan and added that he had no prior information of PCB deciding on a series.

The members, it is learnt, also showed their reservations over the matter since Pakistan is currently unable to field a strong team against South Africa and Australia as its key players, such as Mohammad Yousuf and Shahid Afridi, are not willing to play in the holy month of Ramazan.

Pakistan’s main bowlers like Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul are also not available to play for the national side for different reasons.

The COO’s move to negotiate a series with South Africa has also rubbed the committee members the wrong way because the Proteas were the first to refuse participation in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan earlier this month.

The governing board’s next meeting is fixed for Saturday (August 30) but there has been no news as to who will head it as the previous chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf did not appoint an acting chairman.

The article 5 clause (3) of PCB’s constitution says: “During the absence of the chairman from Pakistan for a period of more than 30 days, the chairman may appoint an acting chairman from the Governing Board members who shall perform all the functions and exercise all the powers of the chairman.”