The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to back the ICC revamp at the
world governing body's board meeting next month to give it leverage
with other countries, especially India. The PCB is aware, ESPNcricinfo
understands, that a pragmatic approach will give it the benefits of
bilateral tours it needs in its current situation, while not signing it
will increase the sense of isolation.
The PCB is the only Full Member to have not extended its support as yet
to the governance, finance and FTP changes in the ICC, which were
proposed by the BCCI, the ECB and Cricket Australia in February. When
the changes, which increase the power of those three boards within the
ICC, were first proposed, four Full Members had come out
against them: the PCB, the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Cricket South
Africa (CSA) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). The proposals have since been
revised and were approved by eight of the Full Members on February 8. SLC and the PCB were the only two to vote against it at that meeting, and SLC extended its support to the revamp 10 days later.
The PCB's previous chairman Zaka Ashraf
believed the revamp was against the principle of "equality", and so the
PCB, under, Ashraf objected to it. Current chairman Najam Sethi,
though, who has been exchanging the reins
of the PCB with Ashraf frequently over the past few months due tolegal
and political reasons, said it was important to "safeguard" Pakistan's
interests.
"I don't think this is about principles, it is about safeguarding our
own self-interests in the long run in world cricket," Sethi said. "We
are the only ones now, left alone [against the revamp]. Whomever I have
spoken to says they also initially opposed the changes but later went
with it because they were gaining a lot by supporting these changes."
Sethi reportedly met with his Bangladesh and Sri Lanka counterparts, on the sidelines of Asia Cup, in Dhaka.
The PCB is keen on negotiating bilateral series with India. "The fact is
every country wants to play India because they say it brings them much
needed revenues. It is a fact that not playing cricket with India is
damaging for us," Sethi said.
Ashraf, however, maintained that the revamp would be unjust to the other
members. According to him, the PCB - given Pakistan's commercial value
to world cricket - was offered the chance to side with the 'Big Three'
and benefit from the original proposals.
"The situation is very tricky," Ashraf told ESPNcricinfo. "The PCB
obviously will be the last country [to accept the revamp], but that
doesn't make any difference. The restructuring is still against the
basic principle of equality and the 'Big Three' will be acting
despotically.
"The [revised] financial model is based on merely theory and a dummy
model [by which no Full Member loses] is shown with a verbal assurance
that they won't let the things slip. They promised that every board
would get its fair share according to their commercial value. They also
asked us to be the part of the scheme, to make it Big Four, as Pakistan
holds a productive commercial value."
"The revamped ICC model is bound to fail in the long run," Ashraf said.
"Their bid is to control things and that is what the whole idea was, but
there is no indemnity if the structure collapses. And I am afraid the
way cricket is being treated, the structure won't sustain itself in the
long run and in the next three years board members, especially the
supporters, will start realising this and things will start splitting."
Pakistan have not hosted any Full Member at home since the terrorist
attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore five years ago. Despite that,
the PCB has been functioning rather well and that shows "the value" of
Pakistan cricket, Ashraf said. "Pakistan, in last few years, despite
being isolated are still standing tall and the PCB is not in debt as
many boards are. No board is ready to help Pakistan at a crucial time to
revive cricket in Pakistan. But Pakistan cricket is still going strong.
"The world knows the value of Pakistan cricket and this is what keeps us
going. Despite the isolation, cricket in Pakistan still a profitable
product."
Currently, Sethi is discussing the matter of the revamp with previous
chairmen of the board, including Ashraf, seeking their advice on what he
has termed a "crisis". It is understood that all of these former chiefs
have suggested Pakistan remain in opposition to the revamp.
