LAHORE: With just a couple of days left before the ongoing financial year ends, no meeting has been held so far to present the 2024-25 budget of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) before the Board of Governors (BoG) for approval.

According to well-informed sources, no internal budget meeting has been held so far and there is no chance of any such meeting in the near future, as PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is currently in West Indies on the invitation of the International Cricket Council to watch the T20 World Cup final scheduled to be held in Bridgetown on June 29.

The PCB chief is expected to return to Pakistan on July 2, it is learnt.

On a couple of occasions in the past, PCB’s financial budget was delayed due to mismanagement and the same situation has arisen again, which signifies an unprofessional approach of the authorities concerned in the game’s governing body.

The incumbent PCB regime under Mohsin took some major decisions unilaterally — without the approval of the BoG — in the recent past. These decisions include giving back T20 captaincy to Babar Azam, just two months ahead of the T20 World Cup, after Shaheen Shah Afridi-led side suffered a 4-1 T20 series defeat in New Zealand earlier this year.

The decisions to announce a headless national selection body comprising seven members, including five of them from Lahore; bringing back all-rounder Imad Wasim and fast bowler Mohammad Amir to international cricket; and appointing Gary Kirsten as Pakistan’s white-ball head coach just one month before the T20 World Cup were also taken by the Mohsin-led PCB with no formal endorsement from the BoG.

Pakistan’s first-round exit at the World Cup after embarrassing losses to the US and India exposed the poor decision-making of the present PCB.

Interestingly, a meeting of the BoG has not been held since mid-February and no date has been announced for its meeting yet.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2024

Opinion

From hard to harder

From hard to harder

Instead of ‘hard state’ turning even harder, citizens deserve a state that goes soft on them in delivering democratic and development aspirations.

Editorial

Canal unrest
Updated 03 Apr, 2025

Canal unrest

With rising water scarcity in Indus system, it is crucial to move towards a consensus-driven policymaking process.
Iran-US tension
03 Apr, 2025

Iran-US tension

THE Trump administration’s threats aimed at Iran do not bode well for global peace, and unless Washington changes...
Flights to history
03 Apr, 2025

Flights to history

MOHENJODARO could have been the forgotten gold we desperately need. Instead, this 5,000-year-old well of antiquity ...
Eid amidst crises
Updated 31 Mar, 2025

Eid amidst crises

Until the Muslim world takes practical steps to end these atrocities, these besieged populations will see no joy.
Women’s rights
Updated 01 Apr, 2025

Women’s rights

Such judgements, and others directly impacting women’s rights should be given more airtime in media.
Not helping
Updated 02 Apr, 2025

Not helping

If it's committed to peace in Balochistan, the state must draw a line between militancy and legitimate protest.