The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday vowed to continue its legal fight with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the World Cup 2011 matches as its attempts to regain the snatched 14 games suffered a huge blow in London after the talks with the three other stakeholders failed to bear fruit.
An official press release of the PCB issued on Saturday stated “The PCB sought the support of its fellow Asian co-hosts (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh) for matches to be played under the aegis of the PCB in a safe neutral venue.
“Despite the fact that these discussions had been helpfully and constructively brokered by the ICC President David Morgan and Vice President Sharad Pawar, who is also Chairman of World Cup Central Organizing Committee, no progress whatsoever was made. “This will mean that organizational issues surrounding the 2011 World Cup remain unresolved and that the legal proceedings the PCB has brought against the ICC in Dubai and in Lahore will continue,” stated the release.
“The Chairman of PCB Mr. Ijaz Butt met today in London with the representatives of the co-hosts of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. The purpose of the meeting was to attempt to resolve outstanding issues arising from the attacks in Lahore, the need to ensure the security of the event and the proceedings PCB has brought against the ICC for breach of contract, arising out of the handling of this matter,” it further said.
“PCB Chairman Mr. Ijaz Butt said on Saturday, “I had hoped and expected the support of my Asian co-hosts in resolving these organizational difficulties. I am deeply disappointed that no progress was made despite the intervention of both the ICC President and Vice President. This means that rather than harmony amongst the co-hosts of the 2011 World Cup, we will have disagreement and legal dispute. I do hope that they will reconsider their unreasonable stance so that the legal dispute can be resolved and a hugely successful World Cup organized in 2011,” the press release concluded.
The PCB was the co-host of the mega event and was also set to operate the central organising committee office in Lahore. But in April, the ICC stunned everyone by stripping Pakistan as hosts and giving its share of 14 matches to India (eight matches), Sri Lanka (four matches) and Bangladesh (two matches) and also shifted the organising committee centre from Lahore to Mumbai.
It all happened in the wake of the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore on March 3, resulting in the injuries to their seven players, at least two seriously. Eight policemen were also killed in the sudden ambush as all the terrorists made their escape good. Though the Sri Lankan left Pakistan on the same afternoon, the sad incident had put a big question mark on the Pakistan future as far as sports are concerned.
But neither the provincial government nor the PCB took any action against any of their officials, who were responsible for providing presidential level security for the SL team. From the PCB Zakir Khan and Wasim Bari were coordinating with the local security officials and failed abjectly.
Yet, both Zakir and Bari are in London these days with the PCB chairman. While Zakir as Director International Cricket was assisting Ijaz Butt in the negotiation with the stakeholders, Bari has gone there to pick Pakistan team for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka starting from June 27.
To counter the ICC`s decision, the PCB served a legal notice to it through its England-based lawer Mark Gay early May, taking the stance that as the ICC`s commercial institution IDI included the PCB as co-host of the World Cup, only that has the authority to strip Pakistan of the event and not the ICC.
But as the ICC has decided to put the recommendations of these meetings, (recently held in London) before the IDI on June 25th to be chaired by Morgan in London for a final decision, it is premature to say what will now be the legal standing of the PCB. If the IDI approves the decision against Pakistan, it may create problems in defending the case before any court since the main objection of the PCB would have been removed.
“Any such recommendation would then go forward to the ICC`s commercial board (chaired by Mr Morgan) for consideration next Thursday (25 June), with that meeting taking place as part of the ICC`s annual conference week,” an ICC press release issued on Friday said.
Surprisingly, the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt is also holding the charge of Asian Cricket Council (ACC) as its president, but his port-folio could not make any impact on the affiliated members.
The PCB chairman first held a meeting with three other hosts on July 15, in which ICC vice president Sharad Pawar could not appear due to his political engagements back in India.
However, on Friday Sharad, Morgan and Ijaz held a meeting which also continued on Saturday and was attended by all hosts.
Amazingly, the ICC had also issued a press release on Friday which contradicts the PCB statement since it says that, “Morgan, Pawar and Butt agree on a way forward in ICC-PCB dispute over ICC CWC 2011 hosting issue.”
“ICC President David Morgan, Vice-President Sharad Pawar and Ijaz Butt, the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Friday agreed on a possible means to resolve the PCB`s ongoing issues in relation to the hosting of matches in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.
“The trio, meeting at The Oval following an earlier gathering of the four host nations (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) on Monday, decided to convene a meeting of representatives of those four hosts at Lord`s on Saturday (June 20).”
An official press release of the PCB issued on Saturday stated “The PCB sought the support of its fellow Asian co-hosts (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh) for matches to be played under the aegis of the PCB in a safe neutral venue.
“Despite the fact that these discussions had been helpfully and constructively brokered by the ICC President David Morgan and Vice President Sharad Pawar, who is also Chairman of World Cup Central Organizing Committee, no progress whatsoever was made. “This will mean that organizational issues surrounding the 2011 World Cup remain unresolved and that the legal proceedings the PCB has brought against the ICC in Dubai and in Lahore will continue,” stated the release.
“The Chairman of PCB Mr. Ijaz Butt met today in London with the representatives of the co-hosts of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. The purpose of the meeting was to attempt to resolve outstanding issues arising from the attacks in Lahore, the need to ensure the security of the event and the proceedings PCB has brought against the ICC for breach of contract, arising out of the handling of this matter,” it further said.
“PCB Chairman Mr. Ijaz Butt said on Saturday, “I had hoped and expected the support of my Asian co-hosts in resolving these organizational difficulties. I am deeply disappointed that no progress was made despite the intervention of both the ICC President and Vice President. This means that rather than harmony amongst the co-hosts of the 2011 World Cup, we will have disagreement and legal dispute. I do hope that they will reconsider their unreasonable stance so that the legal dispute can be resolved and a hugely successful World Cup organized in 2011,” the press release concluded.
The PCB was the co-host of the mega event and was also set to operate the central organising committee office in Lahore. But in April, the ICC stunned everyone by stripping Pakistan as hosts and giving its share of 14 matches to India (eight matches), Sri Lanka (four matches) and Bangladesh (two matches) and also shifted the organising committee centre from Lahore to Mumbai.
It all happened in the wake of the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore on March 3, resulting in the injuries to their seven players, at least two seriously. Eight policemen were also killed in the sudden ambush as all the terrorists made their escape good. Though the Sri Lankan left Pakistan on the same afternoon, the sad incident had put a big question mark on the Pakistan future as far as sports are concerned.
But neither the provincial government nor the PCB took any action against any of their officials, who were responsible for providing presidential level security for the SL team. From the PCB Zakir Khan and Wasim Bari were coordinating with the local security officials and failed abjectly.
Yet, both Zakir and Bari are in London these days with the PCB chairman. While Zakir as Director International Cricket was assisting Ijaz Butt in the negotiation with the stakeholders, Bari has gone there to pick Pakistan team for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka starting from June 27.
To counter the ICC`s decision, the PCB served a legal notice to it through its England-based lawer Mark Gay early May, taking the stance that as the ICC`s commercial institution IDI included the PCB as co-host of the World Cup, only that has the authority to strip Pakistan of the event and not the ICC.
But as the ICC has decided to put the recommendations of these meetings, (recently held in London) before the IDI on June 25th to be chaired by Morgan in London for a final decision, it is premature to say what will now be the legal standing of the PCB. If the IDI approves the decision against Pakistan, it may create problems in defending the case before any court since the main objection of the PCB would have been removed.
“Any such recommendation would then go forward to the ICC`s commercial board (chaired by Mr Morgan) for consideration next Thursday (25 June), with that meeting taking place as part of the ICC`s annual conference week,” an ICC press release issued on Friday said.
Surprisingly, the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt is also holding the charge of Asian Cricket Council (ACC) as its president, but his port-folio could not make any impact on the affiliated members.
The PCB chairman first held a meeting with three other hosts on July 15, in which ICC vice president Sharad Pawar could not appear due to his political engagements back in India.
However, on Friday Sharad, Morgan and Ijaz held a meeting which also continued on Saturday and was attended by all hosts.
Amazingly, the ICC had also issued a press release on Friday which contradicts the PCB statement since it says that, “Morgan, Pawar and Butt agree on a way forward in ICC-PCB dispute over ICC CWC 2011 hosting issue.”
“ICC President David Morgan, Vice-President Sharad Pawar and Ijaz Butt, the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Friday agreed on a possible means to resolve the PCB`s ongoing issues in relation to the hosting of matches in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.
“The trio, meeting at The Oval following an earlier gathering of the four host nations (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) on Monday, decided to convene a meeting of representatives of those four hosts at Lord`s on Saturday (June 20).”
