ISLAMABAD: A senate panel on Wednesday showed its displeasure over Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani for constantly ignoring calls for a meeting.

The Senate Standing Committee on Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) headed by Senator Sardar Mohammad Yaqoob Khan was supposed to get “comprehensive briefing from the PCB chairman regarding the new domestic cricket structure.”

However, Mani, who did not attend the last three meetings, did not turn up once again for Wednesday’s meeting held briefly here at the Parliament House.

At the onset of meeting, an official of PCB told the committee that Mani was unable to attend due to engagements related to Bangladesh cricket team’s visit to Pakistan.

The committee members showed their displeasure that neither IPC minister Dr. Fehmida Mirza, nor Mani and PCB director domestic cricket Haroon Rasheed turned up for the meeting.

The committee chairman decided not to take briefing from the PCB officials present in meeting, adding that the committee will take up the matter with Chairman Senate.

“Chairman PCB did not turn up in the three previous meetings and now has skipped under the pretext of Bangladesh team’s arrival, which will in fact reach Pakistan tonight,” a press release issued by the Senate Secretariat quoted the committee’s chairman as saying.

The committee chairman warned that the case will be referred to the privileges committee, if Mani fails to attend the next meeting as well. The panel decided to defer the proceedings in protest.

Besides, cricketing affairs, the committee was also supposed to get briefing on “Restructuring of Pakistan Sports Board” but entire agenda was postponed.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2020