Welcoming the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB)move to resume bilateral cricketing ties with India, former International Cricket Council (ICC) chief Ehsan Mani today urged the board to refrain from blindly following the BCCI without putting forward their own point of view. “It is concerning to see that the BCCI solely took the decision. Their working committee discussed it and their board decided it on their own without consulting the PCB. They blindly followed what the BCCI conveyed to them. The officials showed a lack of competence by saying yes without putting forward the board’s point of view,” Mani was quoted as saying by the ‘Express Tribune’. “However, as far as the resumption is concerned, it will be good for world cricket, fans and help in bridging gaps between the two countries,” he added.
The BCCI invited Pakistan for a three-match One Day International (ODI) series in December, a move warmly welcomed by the cricket fraternity and the PCB desperate to end the five-year hiatus. While it was Pakistan’s turn to host the series, the PCB refused to go into the debate of revenue-sharing, saying its first priority was to revive cricket with India. The former chief of the sport’s governing body also stressed that the PCB should also clarify terms for the next series before the December rubber, being termed as the ice-breaking fixtures. “The PCB should have demanded the revenue sharing. The BCCI is expected to earn a sum of 100 million dollars from the series. But if the PCB is conceding the revenue then it should take BCCI’s word about the next series which is very important,” he said. Admitting that Pakistan is still not a secured place to host an international series, Mani, however, stressed on playing India at neutral venues. “It is a fact that Pakistan cannot host India on its soil in the next two years. The PCB will have to convince the BCCI to play at neutral venues,” he said. “If Australia and England can play us then why can’t India come at the neutral venues? If the PCB continues to go the BCCI’s way it will not get much benefit from the revival,” he added. UNI