Abbasi hits second probe against Aamir Sohail (16 May 1997)

16 May 1997 Abbasi hits second probe against Aamir Sohail

Samiul Hasan

KARACHI, May 15: One of the longest serving cricket administrators termed the Council's verdict against Aamir Sohail as comedy of errors adding that the higher tier has made itself a laughing stock. These observations were made by Arif Ali Khan Abbasi who was the first Chief Executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board and also served three terms as Secretary of the BCCP. Abbasi was also the Treasurer between 1991 and 1993 and then was a member of the ad hoc Committee from Jan 1994 to March 1995.

Arif Abbasi, who agreed to discuss the most talked-about issue after repeated pursuance, said instead of probing Aamir Sohail, authorities should first look into why a player reached this state of mind in which he in a fit of rage made allegations. "The reality is that the top official of the PCB is responsible for the ongoing controversy. The job of The Management isn't to check tickets and remove spectators occupying wrong seats. At least the administrator should have taken into account that the relatives of Aamir Sohail were made comfortable by one of the employees of the board. "And when Aamir Sohail protested against the insult, the PCB suspended him for 30 days and denied him his constitutional rights of continuing his profession as a cricketer. But no one inquired from The Management why he acted in such an unprofessional manner which clearly speaks of their vendetta." "One personally feels that all has reached this point because the PCB tried to divert the attention of the followers of the game from that issue," Arif Abbasi opined, adding: "The job of the cricket authorities is to keep the house in order, look after the happiness of its assets (players) and keep all of them involved."

Abbasi was of the view that outrage against Aamir Sohail had started immediately after changes were made in the cricket set-up. "Aamir Sohail was removed from vice-captaincy without the approval of the Council and then was dropped from the home series, need not to mention that his batting order was also altered. "When you continue disturbing a player, he gets temperamental and in heat of the moment does what is regrets later," Abbasi stated.

In the context of allegations levelled by Aamir Sohail, Arif Abbasi said it would be worth mentioning here that several serving members of the board have pronounced Pakistan players guilty of betting both at home and abroad. "In spite of the fact that the entire allegation was conveyed by the ICC more than four months later the alleged event, yet no disciplinary action was either suggested or 'a probe order'." Abbasi said he strongly feels that Aamir Sohail should not have been brought to this pitch "and sole responsibility lays on the shoulder of the PCB." On the comedy of errors committed on Wednesday by the Council, Abbasi said: "The Council has made itself a laughing stock. If it has accepted the unconditional apology of Aamir Sohail, then how can he again appear before the Disciplinary Committee? Secondly, if he is suspended how can he play? "Here I say that the Council is a mere rubber stamp because it is working on the instructions of the same individual whom it had unanimously sacked in October 1995," former Managing Director of the PIA said.

Abbasi was of the view that government had to step in not because it wanted to interfere in the working of the PCB but because it was convinced that a valuable player was being victimised and humiliated. "PCB should be grateful to the government for coming up with a formula to defuse the situation rather than again try to complicate it," Abbasi, who tactfully handled the revolt against Wasim Akram in January 1994, said.

Arif Abbasi took exception to the decision of the Council to order a thorough probe in the betting and match-fixing allegations. "Now the Disciplinary Committee is going to challenge the findings and judgement of a retired Supreme Court Judge. "Justice Fakhruddin G Ebraheem's judgement was accepted by the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) as well as by the ICC who went on to remove the betting issue from the 1995 ICC meeting at Lord's. The ICC also praised Pakistan's role in tackling the betting issue and said in the Chairman's Press conference that the example should be emulated by the other boards." "If the officials had done some home work, they would have known that the Judge has said in his report that he was willing to defend his judgement anywhere and anytime," Abbasi, during whose tenure the investigations were carried out, said.

When said Justice Ebraheem had investigated the allegations levelled by the Australians, Abbasi said the bottom-line is the accusations are similar. "The Australian said what Rashid Latif and Basit Ali had said before and now Aamir Sohail has repeated."

Arif Abbasi was also unhappy on the composition of the team which is currently playing in India. "The exchange of matches with Indian was finalised long time ago but the PCB still decided to sent a team to Sri Lanka where the cricketers were forced to play under tremendous heat and that too for seven-and-a-half hours. I think this is bad management. "The Indian tour is very critical and sensitive. The PCB should have picked up the best side but cricketers were allowed to fulfil their commitments with Counties while a few have been sidelined for personal reasons."

Abbasi said he feels pains when commentators introduce Pakistan team as a third string. "Had the board liked, it would have asked the Counties to release star players because they were obliged to release them for national duty. Instead, the PCB left it onto the players themselves to decide about their priorities," concluded Abbasi.

Source:: Dawn (https://xiber.com/dawn/)