KARACHI: The former chief executive officer (CEO) of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Arif Ali Khan Abbasi has said that litigation against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not going to help and should never have been done.

The disputed resolution process was initiated by PCB against BCCI under the ICC Dispute Resolution Committee terms of reference. The PCB claimed heavy financial loss due to India’s failure to honour its commitment to play two series as part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the two boards in 2014.

“It will only spoil relations because I don’t see India shelling any money. The best way in my opinion is that you improve your relations with India and then ask them to give you additional matches,” Abbasi told this correspondent.

The hearing will take place at the ICC headquarters in Dubai next month.

To a question regarding Indian government’s reluctance to play against Pakistan, Abbasi said that in view of the recent gestures from Pakistan’s newly-elected Prime Minister Imran Khan, he could see some light at the end of the tunnel.

“Till their government eases its attitude, you have to wait. PM Imran has already said that if you take one step, I am willing to take two which is positive statement,” he observed. “The best thing is deescalation and if that happens I can see India reciprocating.”

The former cricket board chief also touched upon the subject of possible reforms in Pakistan’s domestic cricket structure, advising to hold separate first-class tournaments for regional and departmental outfits.

“Departments’ participation in a separate first-class tournament is always a good idea and it worked in the past, so you have to look at what happened in the past and adhere to it. There is no other way,” said Abbasi. “By doing away with it (departmental teams) you are going to make hundreds of people jobless and it’s not going to serve any purpose.”

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2018