Pakistan: PCB have put themselves in an awkward situation (4 Sep 1998)

4 September 1998

PCB have put themselves in an awkward situation

By Samiul Hasan

KARACHI, Sept 3: Mr Justice Ijaz Yousuf, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) probe committee, said on Thursday that the concerned authorities have put themselves in an awkward situation by including two players who had been recommended for suspension.

Talking to Dawn from Quetta, the Shariat Court Judge said his committee had done what had been expected from them.

"How do we come into an embarrassing position? In fact, it is the cricket board which has put themselves on a tricky wicket by rejecting our recommendations.

"I don't want to influence anyone but fact of the matter is that the Senate Standing Committee on Sports, Culture, Tourism and Youth Affairs also supported us," Justice Yousuf added.

He stressed that his committee had suggested that the three players should be kept away until investigations were over.

He maintained that it was a unanimous decision of the committee which also included Karachi City Cricket Association's Nusrat Azeem and Lahore Division Cricket Association's Mian Mohammad Munir. "All the three members felt that there was substance in the allegations and the players should be suspended until the completion of the final report."

Justice Yousuf said he would not like to reply to PCB's letter seeking his views on the suspension of players. "I have already submitted my suggestions in the interim report. I still stand by my earlier views that the (under investigation) players should not be part of any team until the investigations were finished."

Justice Yousuf rejected the claims of certain executive council members that he did not inform the higher tier of his recommendations on the issue in the Aug 16 meeting. "That's totally incorrect. I informed the house by names that three players were prime suspects and they should not be considered," he emphasised.

Justice Yousuf, who is also a council member and represents Quetta and Peshawar, said he did not agree with the views of PCB chairman Khalid Mahmood that the players couldn't be suspended until they were cross-examined.

"Any player can be suspended if the probe committee finds evidence against him. The service laws say the same," he asserted. "The player can be asked to clarify his position and defend charges during final investigations."

Justice Yousuf, however, said the players could still be pulled from the team if the majority of the executive council accepted the recommendations of the probe committee.

According to highly placed sources in the cricket board secretariat, only two councillors have so far responded to the letters that were mailed to them on Tuesday evening.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief executive Majid Khan refused to comment on the issue when he was contacted in Lahore on Thursday.

However, informed sources said Nusrat Azeem and Yar Mohammad Solangi were the two councillors who have answered the letters. In their replies, the two, according to insiders, have maintained that the executive council's Aug 16 decision was appropriate.

Interestingly, Nusrat Azeem is one of the three PCB probe committee members who signed the 12-page interim report and recommended suspension of the three players suspected of betting and match-fixing charges.

Nusrat Azeem, when contacted, said the cricket board was not bound to take instructions from the Senate. "We are an independent institution with an independent constitution. We don't have to take dictations from the Senate."

Azeem said he received a one-page letter from the cricket board and he thought it was just an information. "Even if my opinion had been asked, I would have maintained the same."

Azeem's reply to the cricket board is:

"In the last council meeting, the probe committee submitted its interim report to the executive council for action. After hearing the report of the probe committee, the executive council asked the committee to finalize its findings in three months period. And also a list of 25 probable players for Pakistan team for the Sahara Cup was submitted by the selection committee which was approved by the council as such.

"Therefore, if the selectors have selected the players amongst the list of 25 players, there should be no need for further approval."

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