ISLAMABAD, Feb 8: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has come under another attack from the senators who have observed that the board was being run as a personal estate, an attitude which was neither desirable nor acceptable.
The recommendations and observations by four senators have now been submitted to the head of the Senate Standing Committee on Sports and the Chairman of Senate.
The Standing Committee began a probe into the affairs of PCB in May last year after allegations of mismanagement and corruption surfaced following the home series with India.
The senators - Murad Ali Shah, Muhammad Enver Baig, Aslam Buledi and Dr. Kausar Firdaus - have asked for their recommendations and observations to be included in the final report.
"If the majority does not agree with the recommendations, then these be treated as a note of dissent and be so included," they have said in a covering letter to Senator Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry, the chairman of the committee.
The document, obtained exclusively by the Dawn, gives a comprehensive account of the alleged financial irregularities and other wrongdoings committed by the PCB in context with India series.
From chairman Mr Shaharyar M. Khan's reluctance to providing information sought by the committee to his dilly-dallying on the constitution, the free-ticket scam and the poor performance of the national team because of "incompetent management," the report covers all.
In the document, the senators have pointed out that every ad hoc chairman of the board, including Shaharyar does not seem interested in giving up the "one-man rule" despite publicly talking of their love for constitutional rule.
The ad hocism in the PCB, with the chairman and the then CEO Ramiz Raja both operating on a "part-time" basis, saw the core group of professionals being rendered ineffective, the document says.
"The treasurer, GM Marketing and legal advisor were sidelined and outsiders who had close friendship or association with the chairman or CEO were appointed. This resulted in both lack of accountability and maladministration."
The repeated dishonour of timeframe by Shaharyar in finalising the new PCB constitution, has also not gone down well with the senators.
"Apparently the delay is taking place due to the methodology being adopted," they say while suggesting that the draft constitution prepared under former PCB head Lt. Gen (Retd) Tauqir Zia should have been exposed to all stakeholders and that there was no need to reinvent the wheel.
"The same document is once again being unnecessarily processed through all sorts of high-powered committees."
The document accuses Shaharyar of protecting Ramiz in all areas of his personal conflict of interest with banks and television channels.
Ramiz, while being the CEO was also working as a commentator besides serving a leading commercial bank.
"The chairman did not provide a satisfactory response as to why he took no steps to halt the conflict of interest of the CEO particularly in certain financial matters which resulted in monetary losses to the Board."
The subject of complimentary tickets given out by the PCB for the India series has also been highlighted by the senators who say that the audit report reveals discrepancies of Rs 30 million in distribution of ODI tickets.
"The chairman has consistently refused to provide details of the beneficiaries of these free tickets."
The senators feel that Shaharyar neither had the requisite experience nor the necessary knowledge essential for such a job. "Diplomacy, relationship with former Indian cricketers or experience of club/college cricket over 50 years ago are not relevant for the management of an institution which is of great national importance."
As regards the performance of the team, the senators point to a lack of discipline and cooperation, an ineffective manager, unfair selection and the poor physical fitness of players despite hiring of expensive foreign physiotherapists and trainers.
The senators then conclude their observations by submitting the following recommendations:
1. Immediate restoration of constitution and ending ad hocism. Any amendments required in the constitution (currently being prepared) should be reviewed and decided by the general body.
2. To restore national pride in our team, there is an immediate need to "clean out the stable" while in the medium term, a "route map" be drawn which should give priority to the following: a-modernize a national institution which takes into account the changes that have come about in cricket b- learn how other countries, particularly Australia and England have restructured their administrations. c-Pakistan's cricketing foundations are weak and may be do not exists; there has been little change in the running of PCB.
3. A four -member commission be constituted to examine and make detailed plans and recommend appropriate changes which will institutionalise the game and ensure full accountability.
4.The chairman of the commission must be an individual who has a clear and exemplary track record of corporate leadership.
5. The financial irregularities pointed out by the auditors should be investigated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB); and till the completion of the NAB inquiry, chairman Shaharyar and Ramiz be put on Exit Control List (ECL).