Pakistan women's ownership shaping as a Gilbertian plot

Women's cricket tends to struggle for a profile around the world, especially when compared to the male variety of the game, but in Pakistan there is action aplenty as three parties battle for control of the women's game.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB - men's cricket) would like to have control, and decided last year that it should. But it has fallen into a legal minefield.

The women's game in Pakistan had struggled along for some years on its own without any notable assistance from men's cricket.

But the women were factionalised even then between the Pakistan Women's Cricket Control Association (PWCCA), the body which gained the support of the International Women's Cricket Council (IWCC), and a rival, the Pakistan Women's Cricket Association (PWCA).

Legal action has been pursued by the PWCCA over the PCB stance, and all that is missing to lift the squabble into prime entertainment class are the skills of Messrs Gilbert and Sullivan or their Urdu equivalents.

Sadly, the effect of it all on the women who want to play only lends credence to the old African saying: "When elephants fight it is the grass that suffers."

The story so far goes something like this:

The two women's associations did their own thing for some years. Under Islamic tradition many parents will only allow their daughters to play cricket if no men are involved in its organisation.

However, with the merging of the interests of men's and women's cricket occurring at national association level around the world, with the increasing likelihood of an international merger, the PCB entered the fray.

With no common ground among the participating parties in sight, the High Court in Lahore directed the PCB to set up a scrutiny committee in July last year to decide which association should represent Pakistan.

The PCB went to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for advice, while the PWCCA contacted Australia, England and New Zealand about their respective amalgamation models.

Problems occurred when the scrutiny committee didn't make a decision over which women's association should run the game.

It decided instead that the PCB should run the women's game!

But, according to reports, it didn't advise the High Court of its decision.

As a result, the PWCCA sought legal action to remedy the situation.

The matter is vital for two reasons.

Most notably because women's cricket is likely to come under the control of the ICC from next year.

While no final decision has been made on a merger, it will be discussed when the IWCC board of management reports to the full council of the IWCC at Voorshoten, near The Hague, on July 24.

Only then will there be discussion on the merger proposal that has been under consideration with the ICC.

At the same meeting, the PCB request for membership of the IWCC will be considered. Given the ICC's controversies of late, it is a given that no merger will proceed while the Pakistan question is unresolved.

But more immediately, the Women's World Cup qualifying tournament is to be held in the Netherlands soon.

Clearly this is a prestigious event for Pakistan, so prestigious that the PCB went ahead and held trials. This despite the fact that no official decision had been made over who should be running the women's game.

The PWCCA complained long and hard but the PCB ignored the situation. Finally, the point of embarrassment was reached when the PWCCA obtained a Stay Order from the High Court which prevented the PCB from selecting a side.

The PCB went to the ICC who in turn sent the PCB to the IWCC who informed them the PWCCA was the only body capable of having a team at the tournament.

Not surprisingly, the women's world body which also has as one of its requirements, the fostering of the women's game around the world, wants to see some resolution to the situation.

The IWCC have called for all the interested parties to get around the table to discuss the issues under the arbitrary eye of a respected and independent figure in cricket in Pakistan.

IWCC president, Christine Brierley, of Australia, said today: "The IWCC has informed the PCB that it has a responsibility to act fairly with its members, and any change to the status of an existing member body must be made in accordance with the IWCC rules, and the rules of natural justice.

"The IWCC position regarding Pakistan is that we, with the ICC, encourage a comprehensive development programme and structure for women's cricket. However, in saying that, we are also mindful of the complexities of the situation, which are political, and additionally complicated by the vested interests of the various parties involved and set against their own cultural requirements as in religious constraints."

There should be an interesting couple of months leading up to the event.