ISLAMABAD, June 6: The Federal Minister for Sports, Mian Shamim Haider, said on Tuesday that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) being secretive about its new constitution was not a healthy sign.

"I do not see any reason why they should be hiding things from the ministry and bypass us," he told journalists at the Punjab House.

The PCB after sitting on its proposed constitution for months chose to ignore the ministry when the document was finally ready and submitted it directly to the President Gen Pervez Musharraf, who is also the board's patron.

"I fail to understand why the PCB has set up a separate shop, they should be open about their affairs and not keep things closely guarded."

In what was a presidential snub, Musharraf rejected the draft constitution ordering the PCB to prepare a comprehensive document.

Shamim, previously the Minister for Railways, said that he would probe what the PCB was up to. "We will be going to Lahore next week to have a physical inspection of the board offices to see their manner of working."

Responding to a question that corruption was rampant within the PCB and yet successive governments had treated the board as a sacred cow, he said he'll have to have a discussion with the President.

"We keep getting signals that the PCB is an autonomous body, it is really but I think all sports bodies should be under one roof."

Last week the national press reported that the federal minister had asked PCB to provide details of accounts of the Indian team’s visit to this country.

In recent months the auditors have expressed reservations over PCB’s accounts while the officials have also been accused of malpractices.

Shamim said that if one went by merit, things in Pakistan sport will fall in line. At the moment, "there is more politics within the federations than national politics."