Pakistan's response to report humbles ICC
The ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said on Wednesday that it was not mandatory for the PCB to implement the recommendations and observations made by the ICC special task force on Pakistan cricket.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: July 14, 2011 11:35 AM IST
The ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said on Wednesday that it was not mandatory for the PCB to implement the recommendations and observations made by the ICC special task force on Pakistan cricket. In an interview, Lorgat said from Dubai that the Task force report was meant to suggest to the PCB ways and means to improve their cricket structure. (Also Read: ICC published task force report without our consent: PCB)
"It is not binding on the PCB to implement all recommendations or observations of the task force. But we are hopeful that they will study it and their governing body would see the importance of implementing some if not all recommendations and observations of the task force," Lorgat said.
Lorgat was speaking after the PCB sent a strong worded response to the Task force report in which they rejected most of the recommendations and observations. The PCB also said that the report contained factual errors and superfluous.
Lorgat said he had not seen the PCB response as yet but everyone had to realize that the purpose was to help Pakistan cricket.
"As far as the factual errors are concerned yes they might be some but at the same time we had shown a draft copy of the report to the chief operating officer of the Board Subhan Ahmad to check it out before we gave it final shape and submitted it," the ICC official said.
Asked about the PCB defense of its system of having the Pakistani President involved in cricket affairs and his power to appoint the board Chairman and governing board members, Lorgat said that the ICC executive council had already passed a constitutional amendment that made it mandatory for boards to disallow political interference and government involvement in their matters.
"From what we saw, the PCB supported the constitutional amendment and we are hopeful they will implement the recommendations on this issue."
He noted no objection was raised at any point during the ICC meeting on this issue by Pakistan.
Lorgat also made it clear that when the task force was formed, Pakistan was taken into confidence and the main purpose at that time was to ensure that Pakistan cricket was not isolated and got enough exposure at the top level with the exception of hosting foreign teams at home.
"With due course of time the mandate of the task force was expanded and the PCB was taken into confidence on this. The pleasing aspect is that at the moment the Pakistan team is one of the busiest in international cricket and it is playing lot of cricket which was our main concern in 2009."