August 10, 2003

As ICC’s head, Ehsan Mani is the Pakistani in control of things at Lords, and is seen as a bridge between Asia and the rest

THE governing body of cricket, the International Cricket Council, gets a president on the basis of rotation. However, the man taking the seat must not only have the insight of the action on the field, but should be shrewd enough to deal with the delicate matters off it.

In this regard Ehsan Mani, a native of Rawalpindi, is lucky. The soft-spoken bearded Mani has proved to be a man with the Midas Touch, as his business acumen helped fill the coffers of the ICC. He has had a close look at the ‘pitch’ since 1996 when he was appointed Chairman of the ICC’s Finance and Marketing Committee and was the architect in the sale of ICC media rights in 2000 that guaranteed an income of $550 million for international cricket till 2007.

Himself a left-arm pace bowler and right-handed batsman who represented Rawalpindi Club and the Government College Lahore XI from 1959 to 1965, Mani went to England to attain a degree in chartered accountancy. In the late 1980s he was nominated Pakistan’s representative in the ICC. Since then his association with the game’s governing body has grown to such an extent that he now heads the body.

With his vast experience Mani is expected to be able to tackle even the most delicate of issues, like the players’ contract row that nearly threatened India’s participation in the 2003 World Cup and a whopping compensation claim of $50 million by the official sponsors after England and New Zealand refused to play in Zimbabwe and Kenya respectively. And, of course, the revival of cricketing ties between Asian giants Pakistan and India.

Mani, the third Pakistani to head an international sports body after Anwar Chowdhry, president of the International Boxing Association, and squash legend Jahangir Khan, who heads the World Squash Federation, is widely respected and is seen as a bridge between Asia and Europe.

Trekking and hiking are Mani’s hobbies. And with his love of heights, he is sure to take the cricketing world to dizzying heights.

Soon after taking charge, Mani gave an interview to Dawn Magazine. The following are excerpts:

Q: How and when your career as a cricket administrator got off?

A: I have represented Pakistan at the ICC since 1989. It happened a bit by chance. I used to tell the Colonel in the Pakistan Army who was our London representative at the ICC what was wrong with cricket and he would consult me about what to do on this or that matter. One day he said that I knew much more about cricket than he did and arranged with the authorities in Lahore that I should represent the PCB at ICC meetings.

In 1996 I became a Director when I was elected to the chair of the ICC Finance and Marketing Committee, a position I held until the Committee was dissolved in June 2002 when I became the ICC Vice President.

I was also the PCB’s representative on the organizing committee of the 1996 ICC Cricket World Cup in Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka and was a member of the ICC Cricket World Cup Advisory Committee for the 1999 tournament in England. I have also represented Pakistan on the Asian Cricket Council.

Q: Did you play cricket yourself or were you attracted towards the game in your youth?

A: I played cricket for the Rawalpindi Club from 1959 to 1965 as a left-arm fast medium bowler and a right-handed batsman alongside a number of players who went on to earn international honours. I then left for England to further my studies.”

Q: You have been a Pakistan representative at the ICC for several years. How has the process of learning been for you and do you think yourself lucky that you were involved with the ICC in one way or the other before taking over as its head?

A: The fact that I have been involved with the ICC for a number of years has certainly helped. It has helped me to appreciate the issues that the organization faces and understand the way that world cricket operates.

Q: ‘The ICC does not have teeth.’ This has been a famous cliche for the critics of the ICC. Why is this said and how this conception can be changed?

A: I think its an outdated criticism as there have been deep changes made to the organization over the past three years. Under the stewardship of Malcolm Gray, the ICC has been transformed from being a small, under-resourced and reactive body just 36 months ago, into the pro-active and forward-looking organization it is today.

The ICC will not compromise the safety and security of players but as in the case of the most recent ICC Cricket World Cup, we will not allow this to be used as an excuse not to play. The ICC Executive Board has the authority to act decisively in this matter.

Q: One of the matters on which the ICC has failed is to influence India to restore ties with Pakistan. Now you have been very keen to restore ties, how hopeful are you of this happening during your tenure?

A: I hope that with the easing of tension between the two countries, cricketing ties between Pakistan and India will resume within the next year. But, ultimately, it is a political decision. Both the board members have always got along very well. There has never been a meeting where we haven’t supported each other. Through these years, regardless of what the governments’ attitudes have been, both the Boards have been very close.

If matters were solely in the hands of both the boards, cricketing ties would have been resumed between the two countries long time back. It is really in the hands of the Indian government.

Q: What are the real challenges facing the International Cricket Council?

A: Over the past year there have been issues in the game and decisions taken that have tested the unity of the ICC and its members. One of the most pressing immediate challenges will be to deal with the GCC claim from the ICC Cricket World Cup. Over the coming months, one of the key roles for me will be to ensure that cricket is able to resolve these issues and move on from the disputes that have arisen. The ICC will continue to act fairly and impartially in addressing any issue.

Q: Even after the inception of the ICC’s Anti Corruption Unit (ACU), its working officials are on record saying that match fixing still prevails in international cricket. What is your view on that and do you have any plans or measures in mind to further this fight against the corruption?

A: The threat of corruption will never recede. What has happened over the past three years is that the ICC has put in place the system and process to deal with the issue and to detect any attempts by people to corrupt the sport. Today, every international cricketer receives education, advice and guidance about the pitfalls, dangers and penalties of being associated with corruption. I don’t propose to go over what has happened in the past. That is now history as each case has been dealt with on the facts and punishments have been delivered to suit the circumstances. What I can say is that the ICC is now properly equipped and fully committed to stop corruption returning.

Q: What about uniformity of wickets across the globe? You think there should be a code for the nature of wickets that are prepared, or do you think that the home advantage should be a privilege?

A: I would encourage all of our members to act in the best interests of cricket.

Q: When Jagmohan Dalmiya was the ICC president, the rights for the next two World Cup, and the knockouts, were all bundled together and sold off. There were a lot of allegations from newspapers and from individuals despite the ICC saying that the process was transparent. Since you are from the finance world and know the intricacies of all such deals, do you feel disappointed at such a reaction?

A: The ICC has adopted best practice policies for corporate governance and will continue to follow these. These were meticulously followed in the bundling of rights discussions.

Q: Don’t you think that besides globalizing the sport around the world, it makes sense that the ICC pumps in money to save the sport from dying in nations, which already have a great cricketing culture, like the West Indies?

A: Anyone who suggests that cricket is dying in West Indies simply doesn’t know the game. Cricket is an immensely popular and unifying sport in the Caribbean.

In terms of distributions, all ICC members benefit tremendously from the revenue the ICC generates. From the last ICC Cricket World Cup alone, Full Members were budgeted to receive in the region of $9 million from the ICC.

Q: One of the greatest challenges cricket has is to ensure that there is a greater evenness within the competition and fans around the world may get bored by Australia’s dominance. Is this a real challenge for Australia?

A: I don’t accept this view. Yes Australia is dominant at the moment just as West Indies was before it. I would think that this simply sets the benchmark for all other teams to aspire to. Anyone who loves cricket should enjoy watching this great Australian team perform as it is all too rare that we have the chance to see truly great teams perform.

Q: You said in your first speech that the ICC has plans to help Bangladesh improve. Can you specify the plans?

A: The ICC will be working very closely with the BCCB and the Asian Cricket Council over the next two years to assist in the high performance development of the game in Bangladesh. This will include:

• A high performance training centre being set up at the Mirpur stadium.

• The running of specialist skills coaching camps using international coaches, and

• The appointment of an international coach for the Bangladesh under-19 team.

Over the next two years there may be a reduction in the amount of international cricket Bangladesh is playing, particularly outside Bangladesh.”

Q: Asia is from where the most of money in cricket is coming. Do you see it as a negative point as Asia can form a separate block or is this positive? Also, do you think the ICC can handle if any such problem like Asia dictating terms arise?

A: It is essential that the operations of the ICC are underpinned by respect for the cultural diversity that exists within international cricket. Given this reality, opinions on cricketing issues will inevitably reflect the diversity of this cultural mix. Any of us who fail to take proper account of this diversity or who are unwilling to understand the views of all members will be doing a disservice to the game.

The ICC is entrusted to protect the game internationally and all its members must be able to appreciate and accommodate the full range of cricket’s personality in order to do this. I think with goodwill and the common purpose of advancing the game, the ICC is well-equipped to lead the sport whatever the challenges.

Q: The 2003 World Cup was marred by England’s and New Zealand’s “no go” stance to the co-hosts of the event, don’t you think a cricket World Cup should be held in one country to avoid such controversies?

A: I do not agree with this. The chance to host a World Cup is rare and having more than one country host enables us to take the tournament to our members. In 1992 the tournament was hosted by Australia and New Zealand, in 1996 India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan both hosted games and both proved to be very successful. The West Indies is made up of 14 countries so the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 is likely to be hosted by more countries than ever.

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