PCB's misleading statements only damaging women cricket

The Executive Committee of the Pakistan Women's Cricket Control Association strongly dismisses the statement made by the PCB that the participation of the Pakistan Women's Cricket Team in the IWCC Trophy will be decided at the ICC meeting to be held in June 2003.

It is important to bring to the notice of the people of Pakistan and especially the female candidates and all those concerned, I quote from the correspondence received from the IWCC on April 06, 2003 that:

'The Cricket Committee Management and the Executive Board of the ICC have approved the proposed merger in principle (voted on last month at the World Cup) and currently the timetable has been brought forward to March 2004. This will enable the ICC to fully fund the World Cup in 2005'. (women's World Cup).

Countries like Pakistan (PWCCA), the IWCC member, will be assisted by the Cricket Committee Women and the ICC and have special provisions, and will be expected within two years from the integration date to integrate with the ICC member.

All IWCC members will receive this paper which contains all that is proposed along with all the other documents for the Full Council meeting in July.

It was also stated by the IWCC that PWCCA will shortly receive the merger paper on which all the member countries of IWCC will have to vote in July.

PCB has admitted that ICC might accept the IWCC's request for affiliation and PCB itself, at this point of time is NOT a member of the IWCC then its is very clearly understood that PCB has NO right whatsoever to interfere in the affairs of the IWCC Trophy as this tournament is only available exclusively for its member countries to Participate. Hence, PCB is aware that PWCCA is a full member of the IWCC and has sole rights to represent.

The PCB is aware of the above information, thus it is strongly protested that such baseless claims and misguiding statements should be stopped with immediate effect as it is not only tarnishing the reputation of women's cricket, damaging the profile of women's sports but most importantly making a laughing stock of our beloved country, Pakistan in an international arena.

Mohd. Iqbal
Press Secretary
Pakistan Women's Cricket Control Association
17 April 2003