Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Thursday that the premier would take notice of the state of affairs of cricket after hosts Pakistan exited the Champions Trophy tournament without a win.
Pakistan’s final shot at redemption went out with a whimper when the match with Bangladesh was washed out due to rain in Rawalpindi. The team finished fourth and last in the group stage with just one point in three matches.
A wave of criticism engulfed the Pakistan cricket team following their six-wicket defeat to India in Dubai. Prior to that, the Green Shirts faced a 60-run defeat against New Zealand at their opening match in Karachi.
Questioned on Geo News programme ‘Geo Pakistan’ whether the government intended on some level to bring about accountability changes in the cricket infrastructure, Sanaullah prefaced that the caretaker government completely detached the Pakistan Cricket Board from the federal government’s control.
“The cricket board is an independent institution. They can do as they please, which they have. And what they’ve done, it is my personal opinion that I will request the prime minister to discuss the matter in the cabinet and parliament,” Sanaullah said.
“This is not about any particular instance, or about any one chairman being appointed. This is a process that you can see has been happening for the past five or 10 years,” he said.
Sanaullah highlighted the dismal conditions of cricket at a club, university and district level.
“The expenditure happening at a higher level should be brought in front of the country and parliament.
“Mentors are being paid Rs5 million and they have been heard admitting to the media that they are unaware of their responsibilities so they’ve been taking Rs5m monthly for not working “ he said.
“If you see their perks and privileges, you will be surprised and you’ll wonder if this is Pakistan or some progressive European nation.
“These are all things that the prime minister himself will take notice of,” Sanaullah said and reiterated that the matter would be discussed with the cabinet and in parliament.
“This is a process that has been ongoing for a while where people of their own wish take up positions [within Pakistan Cricket Board] and do as they please, which then leads to the current conditions of cricket and board.
“There needs to be improvement, and there needs to be a system in the form of a stable board like there is in the rest of the world.”
He lamented that similar conditions existed in other sports associations of the country.
“They are retired people who take up these positions to enjoy the perks and privileges and facilities. I think all these things need to be looked at and we need to bring foundational changes,” he said.
A day earlier, interim head coach and de facto chief selector Aqib Javed said that Pakistan was knocked out of the tournament “due to a lack of experience among the players”.
When questioned about criticism regarding team selection and speculation on social media regarding lack of understanding between the coach and captain, he said: “This was the best possible team,” adding that Saud Shakeel was brought in because “against spin on these pitches he was a better option as he can tackle spin and capacity to play a long innings”.
