PCB not to sign the 10-year ICC schedule

Islamabad, Nov 30: Pakistan Cricket Board has decided not to sign the International Cricket Council document seeking endorsement for a tenyear programme for the test playing countries.

The decision has been taken in view of India's refusal to tour Pakistan later this year.

Talking to Dawn, PCB's advisory council member Yawar Saeed said that in its comments on the document Pakistan has suggested to the ICC to debate the validity of the programme in view of a country's pull out.

Although, the forthcoming tour will not be part of the ICC's ten-year plan but it has given enough reasons to doubt to its validity, he said.

"We need assurances, because its not just cricket which is being played, there are numerous other factors involved such as huge sponsorship deals, TV rights etc.," Yawar said.

We have the example of Toronto five-year programme with the Indians, their pull-out resulted in significant sponsorship losses, he said.

The official said that at present the ICC cannot guarantee anything in this regard, unless some in-built mechanism is put in place, so that in case a country decides to pull out it faces the consequences.

According to the ten-year proposed programme Pakistan will visit India five times, which means roughly 50 million dollars. Yawar said that the present uncertain situation could lead of huge financial losses. "Already, PCB is facing losses to the tune of US$15 million," he said.

The proposed programme was to be given final shape during the Feb 2001 ICC meeting at Melbourne. All ten test playing countries are required to endorse the programme and give their comments prior to the meeting.

Commenting on the efforts of the Asian Cricket Council whose delegation is due to meet the Indian sports minister sometime next week, Yawar said that though fast diminishing but still there can only be hope for a change.

Meanwhile, the ICC meeting is also set to ratify the Illegal Deliveries mechanism presently in place. A committee to handle the issue will also be formed during the meeting.

Yawar said that the process being run on experimental basis will be given official status by the ICC in a couple of days. All the member countries were told that process will be made official from December and we are expecting an ICC word on it very soon, he said.

Moreover Pakistan has also stressed upon the ICC to proceed with an inquiry against Ali Bachar of the United Cricket Board for accusing Javed Akhtar, who was on the ICC panel of umpire, of wrong doing during the England-South African Test series in England two years ago. Pakistan has maintained that since Bachar has failed to provide evidence to support his claims, inquiry should be held against him.