A legal battle where nobody wins

It might be legally flawed or it might not but the ICC's decision to withdraw World Cup matches from Pakistan was hardly a surprise. The simple fact that sets Pakistan's situation apart from other troubled countries is that the Pakistani authorities promised presidential level security but failed to provide it. There might be conflict in the rest of Asia but none of Pakistan's neighbours has made empty security promises. It is a situation without a saving grace or a get-out-of-jail card.

Under these circumstances, it is hard to see any cricketer or cricket board trusting the PCB and the Pakistan Government in the immediate future. This depressing reality will be hard to accept for Pakistan fans, especially those who will be cheering on the PCB's latest legal battle.

But the PCB's complaint will produce no winners, nor will it persuade anybody to tour Pakistan. The only beneficial outcome for Pakistan cricket might be that the ICC could be forced to put together a hefty compensation package. Either way, this legal stupidity will add further evidence to the view held by potential tourists that the PCB has lost touch with reality.

Instead, the PCB should push for Pakistan's matches to be relocated to Dubai and UAE. Yes, all Pakistan cricket fans want international teams to return but that is a misplaced hope for the next World Cup considering the current conflict within Pakistan. Now is the time for pragmatism, and relocation is the PCB's best option.

Now is also the time to make sure that all PCB communications are professionally prepared. The quality of the statement issued by Ijaz Butt suggests that it had not been vetted by the PCB's England-based lawyers. A strange process considering that the PCB is launching a highly controversial, high profile legal case? But then attention to detail, proper process, and political judgment are attributes that this current PCB regime has been especially incapable of mastering.