LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar M. Khan who accepted chief selector Moin Khan’s apology in their meeting declared during a news conference on Tuesday that Moin conundrum was now a closed chapter.

The former wicket-keeper went to a Christchurch casino ahead of a crucial World Cup match against the West Indies. Later on, Moin’s picture in the said casino went viral putting tremendous pressure on the PCB particularly at a time when the team had lost the tom-tommed World cup match against arch-rivals India and then against the West Indies.

“I had a meeting with Moin which lasted 30 to 40 minutes. He clarified his position and stood firm on his previous stance that he went to the casino with his wife and a couple of friends just to have dinner,” the PCB chief said while explaining Moin’s position during the news conference held after their meeting.

“He also adheres to his previous stance that he is not involved in gambling during his visit to the casino and for that he has already apologised to the public, for now he firmly believes that it was an inappropriate act on his part,” Shaharyar further said.

The PCB chairman said that the Board had no solid evidence against the embattled wicket-keeper, yet the chairman made it clear to Moin that “his act of going to the casino has embarrassed the nation, the PCB and he himself.”

“As the PCB has no concrete evidence against Moin this matter is closed,” declared the chairman who said that he had asked the former captain to talk to the media but he refused to come before the camera.

Shaharyar also said that Moin had not committed any act of indiscipline and what he did was just a mistake.

Asked about the future of Moin, the PCB chief’s reply clearly indicated that the status quo would prevail for the time being. “Moin is not going back to Australia (to rejoin the team as chief selector) and the PCB will reconsider many things after the World Cup,” maintained the chairman.

Talking more in connection with the chief selector’s contentious visit to the casino, the PCB chief said there were a number of restaurants in New Zealand and Australia having the facility of casino, too. So, he added, it was not an act of indiscipline on Moin’s part to go there and have dinner.

About his visit to India scheduled for March 5, Shaharyar said it was already planned and had no link with the election of the new BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya who was elected on Monday.

“I had planned a visit to India to meet government and opposition leaders to pave the way for this year’s home series against India which may be held in December at the neutral venues of the UAE,” said the PCB chief but added that the Indian government advised him not to visit the country, citing budget session going on at the time.

However, he said that the budget was over and he was now ready to visit India to also, if possible, meet the new BCCI president.

Shaharyar said the series against India was vitally important for Pakistan which has to host the neigbouring country six times in the next eight years.

Talking about the revival of international cricket in Pakistan, he disclosed that the Netherlands had almost confirmed their tour to Pakistan in April this year but it could not be materialized due to a couple of bomb blasts occurred recently.

Cricketing nations wanted that Pakistan should first invite minnows like Kenya, Afghanistan and Ireland, said Shaharyar who, he added, had also shown interest in visiting Pakistan.

The Pakistan-Bangladesh series is also in the doldrums with the PCB chief stating that status quo prevailed regarding the confirmation of next month series between the two countries.

“Our government is also not ready to allow us to go to Bangladesh because of the tense political situation there. And Bangladesh has also been unwilling to let their team visit Pakistan for security reasons,” he maintained.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2015

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