October 09, 2008	Thursday	Shawwal 9, 1429

LAHORE, Oct 8: Ijaz Butt, the new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, hinted on Wednesday that Pakistan could consider the option of playing a home series at alternate venues, if the current security situation remains the same.

Talking to reporters, Ijaz, who joined the office after the issuance of the official notification from the President’s office, said: “The holding of the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan depends on the security condition of the country and if the current indefinite situation prevails further we may consider the option to play on alternate venues.”

Due to the security concern of various cricketing nations, the ICC had postponed the Champions Trophy for next year. However, it still kept Pakistan as the host of the championship for which a decision is likely to be taken in Dubai in a two-day meeting starting from Oct 14.

To a question about the ban on several Test and International cricketers for joining the breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL), Ijaz, also a former Test cricketer, said there were reports that some boards were permitting their players to play domestic cricket and the PCB would take a decision after consulting the other boards.

Around 20 prominent cricketers from Pakistan are playing the ICL, thus they are not allowed to represent the national team and also not to play domestic cricket.

Ijaz, who came to the Gaddafi Stadium with Saleem Altaf, who was sacked by the previous chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf, but later the Lahore High Court had restored him through an order, said the performance of every employee would be watched and those who had worked hard would be awarded.

He said like the other chairman, he had the right to pick his own team to run the affairs of the PCB and there could be some changes in the Board’s set-up in the coming days.

He said the PCB was the property of the cricketers and they would be given priority.

He said that the domestic cricket structure would be strengthened as it had to play a vital role to raise a strong Pakistan team.

He said the patron had appointed him as chairman for three years and with the issuance of the notification, the Governing Board of the PCB had also been restored.

The Governing Board had become ineffective soon after the federal sports ministry, through an amendment in the PCB’s constitution, had taken the charge of the PCB last month.

Meanwhile, Ijaz’s appointment was confirmed by an official notification from the Federal Sports Ministry on Wednesday.

The notification says: “The President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in his capacity as Patron of the Cricket Board in exercise of the powers vested in him under Article-5 of the Constitution of the PCB is pleased to appoint Mr Ijaz Butt as Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board with immediate effect for a period of three years.”

Ijaz was born on March 10, 1938 in Sialkot. He graduated from Government College Lahore in 1959. He did his PMD from Harvard Business School, Harvard University, in 1969 and SMP from Harvard Business School, Harvard University, Vevy, Switzerland in 1978.

Before his appointment as Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board, Ijaz was member of the PCB Governing Board and also head of the Internal Audit Committee. He was also the Honorary Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in Pakistan (then BCCP) in the 1980s.