ISLAMABAD, Feb 15 While the Senate's Standing Committee on Sports Monday rejected a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) notification that gave a Governing Board seat to Multan instead of Balochistan, one of its members expressed that all-rounder Shahid Afridi should have been banned for five years for his ball-tampering act in international arena recently.
According to the laid down rules, it was the turn of Quetta regional cricket association to take the GB seat but Multan took advantage of a technical delay of elections in the absence of a representative from the Quetta region.
The committee, which met here at the Senate Secretariat on Monday, with Senator Abdul Ghaffar Khan in the chair, also called on PCB chairman Ijaz Butt to impose a stricter penalty on all-rounder Shahid Afridi for his ball-tampering act during the last One-day International against Australia in Perth where he 'bit the ball like an apple.'
“Afridi should have been banned for five years for his immature act [of ball-tampering],” Senator Tariq Azeem remarked over the issue.
“Why did the PCB let him [Afridi] go like this? There must be a stricter punishment which would have sent a strong message to other players that should never let down Pakistan fans in future,” he stated.
The PCB chairman said “Let me clarify that according to the ICC rules you cannot award two punishments to a player for his single offence. The ICC has already banned him for two [Twenty20] matches.
“I don't want to make any pre-mature assessments at this juncture. Let the inquiry committee [set up to investigate the Australia series debacle] come up with its report first,” Ijaz added.
“Afridi should be ignored by the PCB for future international assignments.”
Senator Haroon Khan asserted the punishment should not end the player's career.
“The punishment should not be so harsh that may end the career of a professional player like Afridi,” he expressed.
Over the issue of GB seat, Senator Lashakri Raisani from Balochistan said the GB seat must be returned to the province.“Why has our GB seat been given to Multan?” he asked.
Ijaz said they would look into the matter and resolve the issue of GB membership shortly.
The Senate body also formed a sub-committee comprising Senators Tahir Hussain Mashhadi and Haroon Khan, to look into PCB's financial and constitutional issues besides resolving the matter of Javed Miandad.
Meanwhile, former Senator Enver Baig called on the committee members to look into Justice Malik Qayyum's inquiry report over match-fixing which “is a solution to Pakistan cricket.”
Ijaz Butt remarked “This is an old report. We have the Lord Condon's report with us which highlighted every aspect of match-fixing allegations. We have clear instructions from the game's governing body that the ICC president can verbally direct the PCB to remove any official who may be involved in match-fixing scandal.”
APP adds Tariq also suggested the PCB should not hold bilateral matches with India after Pakistan players were snubbed at the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) auction.
Expressing concern over Ijaz and Javed Miandad's recent statements against each other in the media, the committee directed both to avoid such statements in future.
