New PCB chief Ehsan Mani wants to fight India in legal case

Published September 5, 2018
Newly appointed PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani addresses a press conference in Lahore. —AFP
Newly appointed PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani addresses a press conference in Lahore. —AFP

Pakistan's newly elected cricket chairman says he will continue to push his country's case at the ICC dispute committee over India pulling out of two bilateral series.

“Their (Indian) policy has been overall contradicting, because they are always ready to play in multinational tournaments like Asia Cup and World Cup but pull out on bilateral arrangements,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani said on Tuesday.

India cancelled series with Pakistan in 2014 and 2015, claiming political tensions. Pakistan was scheduled to stage both series, and claimed losses of nearly $70 million.

Since then, they have met in the 2015 Cricket World Cup and 2017 Champions Trophy. They are scheduled to meet this month in the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

Their legal case before the ICC dispute panel begins on October 1.

“If it was at an earlier stage, I could have sat with the BCCI at the table to sort this out, but the process has started and gone too far to be pulled back,” Mani said.

Mani was elected unopposed as chairman for a three-year term on Tuesday in Lahore.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, the patron of the PCB, nominated Mani as a member of the board of governors last month when Najam Sethi resigned as board chairman.

Sethi's resignation was expected as he had a poor relationship with Khan, who was elected prime minister in July general elections.

According to the PCB constitution, the patron can nominate two members on the board.

Mani has considerable cricket administration experience. He previously represented Pakistan on the International Cricket Council from 1996-2002, and served as ICC president from 2003-06.

Mani said he would like to tweak the PCB constitution to diminish the power of the chairman.

“Everywhere in the world it doesn't happen like this, so we have to tweak the constitution,” he said. “The whole system should run only for cricketers, and the importance of the chairman and board members will be toned down.”

Opinion

Editorial

ICJ rebuke
26 May, 2024

ICJ rebuke

MATTERS are not going well for Israel where world opinion regarding its murderous activities in Gaza is concerned. ...
Hot spells
26 May, 2024

Hot spells

WITH Pakistan already dealing with a heatwave that has affected 26 districts since May 21, word from the climate...
Defiant stance
26 May, 2024

Defiant stance

AT a time when the country is in talks with the IMF for a medium-term loan crucial to bolstering the fragile ...
More pledges
Updated 25 May, 2024

More pledges

There needs to be continuity in economic policies, while development must be focused on bringing prosperity to the masses.
Pemra overreach
25 May, 2024

Pemra overreach

IT seems, at best, a misguided measure and, at worst, an attempt to abuse regulatory power to silence the media. A...
Enduring threat
25 May, 2024

Enduring threat

THE death this week of journalist Nasrullah Gadani, who succumbed to injuries after being attacked by gunmen, is yet...