Akram's comments ill-informed and offensive, says Mani

Ehsan Mani, the ICC president, has said that the comments made by Wasim Akram that alleged a bias by the ICC against Asian countries are ill-informed and offensive.

"As a Pakistani I am honoured by the privilege given to me to lead the ICC in carrying out its responsibility to act without fear or favour to any nation. It is a great disappointment to see this former great player, particularly as he is from my own homeland, make such ill-informed, offensive and inaccurate comments," Mani said in a media release. "The reality is that what Wasim has alleged is offensive not just to me, but to everybody involved with the ICC - the directors, the umpires and referees, the staff and the many former great players from across the cricketing world, including many from Asia, who are involved with the ICC through its Cricket Committee. His comments are not supported by any facts, are ill-informed and make no constructive contribution to the debate on moving cricket forward."

Mani also emphasised on Asia's integral involvement with the ICC. "With Sunil Gavaskar, the former Indian captain, as chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee that includes four representatives from Asia; with David Richardson, the former South African vice-captain as General Manager - Cricket; and with, Ranjan Madugalle, the former Sir Lankan captain, and Roshan Mahanama, the former Sri Lankan player, among the Emirates elite panel of referees we have access to some outstanding cricketing people to deal with cricket issues. In this process, the views of the Asian region are well represented.

"In reality the ICC today is a multi-cultural body that reflects and embraces the diversity of the cricket world. This is reflected at the board table, at all levels of the administration and in the critical operational areas of the Cricket Committee, umpiring and refereeing and anti-corruption. In light of the reality of the modern ICC, these comments are a poor reflection on Wasim's ability to play a constructive role in debating cricketing issues and bring into question his ability to research, understand and make judgments on the way in which the ICC carries out its mandate from all members."

Akram had earlier made the following comments, reported on the Manorama Online website: "ICC has become a forum for white cricketers. [Ehsan] Mani may be a Pakistani but he has never played cricket and never been associated with Pakistan or India or Bangladesh. He has never watched a first-class game. My objection is that why players like Imran Khan and Kapil Dev do not get the top job in ICC? But people from Australia and England -- all these one-Test wonders -- get the job ... I think if cricketers head ICC, their opinion will be respected more. We [the subcontinent] have the passion, money and the crowds. But nobody from India, Pakistan or Sri Lanka ever gets the top job in ICC."