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BCCI has anti-Pakistan agenda: Former ICC chief
Published: Sunday, Jul 10, 2011, 0:58 IST
By Vijay Tagore | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA
You have been quite critical of ICC functioning of late. Can you elaborate on your reservations?
In what context are we talking?
Governance, for instance.
This is for the simple reason that the ICC had three or four processes of electing its presidents. Im glad that the proposed change, mooted in Hong Kong, has been deferred. The change was going to be very open-ended and do away with the rotation system. Having agreed to the rotations and to suddenly change, it smells to me of an agenda. The way John Howard was rejected was not good for the publicity of the ICC. The new system of electing the president would throw us back to the old days when only one country (England) was having its candidate elected as ICC president. The best man should head the ICC.
The rotation system may not necessarily give you the best man.
Yes and no. There are very good men in every country. Even Bangladesh and Zimbabwe can throw up good candidates. The question is, are they going to be nominated. The one good way is to have a certain number of independent directors who are not influenced by any country.
You have been critical of ICCs approach towards Pakistan. What could it have done?
Look, I never criticised ICC for the current situation in Pakistan. The climate is still not conducive for international cricket. I criticised them for the way Pakistan was removed as a host of the World Cup. Pakistan made a reasonable demand of letting them host their matches in neutral venues. Sharad Pawar and David Morgan agreed to that but the next day at the steering committee meeting, India persuaded Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to reject Pakistans request. They were unceremoniously removed as hosts. That was sad. Pakistan always stood by India at the ICC.
What do you mean when you said BCCI is trying to exclude Pakistan from every game?
Yes. The proof is very much in front of us. The BCCI has been very active in that. They did not allow Pakistan players in the IPL. You can see that no Pakistani team is involved in the Champions League. The cricket boards in India and Pakistan have always remained independent of military and political tensions between the countries.
Why do you think it has happened?
You should ask those who are running BCCI today. In my time, there were people like Madhavrao Scindia, AC Muthiah, Rajsingh Dungarpur, IS Bindra and Jagmohan Dalmiya who never let politics come into the game. The current people, who are running the BCCI, have let politics into cricket.
But how can the BCCI ignore the governments advice?
The Indian government is on record saying that it has not given instruction to the BCCI to exclude Pakistani players from the IPL. If you see the FTP, only four countries are playing among themselves.And you look at the number of times India played Australia in the last seven or eight years.At the same time, there is no clear cut schedule between India and Pakistan in the new FTP. It is because the ICC is weak. In my time, every country played with every other country in a four-year cycle. That rule has been corrupted.
But dont you think India-Australia and India-England series make for great economics?
I can assure you that India-Pakistan series will far exceed the value of any of these series. This argument of economic viability can hold good from an Australian or English point of view but not from an Indian point of view. The right way forward is to put cricket ahead of politics and financial power. Time is a great healer and things will change soon.
What is the way forward for Pakistan cricket?
It is a sad state of affairs in Pakistan. The controversies, from spot fixing to lack of unity, are because of the mismanagement of the PCB.
The ICC has said the boards will have to de-link from the government. Is it possible in Pakistan?
Government interference has harmed Pakistan cricket but this whole thing is not targeted at Pakistan at all. This is motivated by the BCCI because of Indias sports ministrys proposed legislation for accountability from the national bodies.The BCCI does not want that and that is the real reason. I welcome this legislation. The BCCI can no longer be able to come to the ICC and say that the government does not want an India-Pakistan series.
Published: Sunday, Jul 10, 2011, 0:58 IST
By Vijay Tagore | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA
You have been quite critical of ICC functioning of late. Can you elaborate on your reservations?
In what context are we talking?
Governance, for instance.
This is for the simple reason that the ICC had three or four processes of electing its presidents. Im glad that the proposed change, mooted in Hong Kong, has been deferred. The change was going to be very open-ended and do away with the rotation system. Having agreed to the rotations and to suddenly change, it smells to me of an agenda. The way John Howard was rejected was not good for the publicity of the ICC. The new system of electing the president would throw us back to the old days when only one country (England) was having its candidate elected as ICC president. The best man should head the ICC.
The rotation system may not necessarily give you the best man.
Yes and no. There are very good men in every country. Even Bangladesh and Zimbabwe can throw up good candidates. The question is, are they going to be nominated. The one good way is to have a certain number of independent directors who are not influenced by any country.
You have been critical of ICCs approach towards Pakistan. What could it have done?
Look, I never criticised ICC for the current situation in Pakistan. The climate is still not conducive for international cricket. I criticised them for the way Pakistan was removed as a host of the World Cup. Pakistan made a reasonable demand of letting them host their matches in neutral venues. Sharad Pawar and David Morgan agreed to that but the next day at the steering committee meeting, India persuaded Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to reject Pakistans request. They were unceremoniously removed as hosts. That was sad. Pakistan always stood by India at the ICC.
What do you mean when you said BCCI is trying to exclude Pakistan from every game?
Yes. The proof is very much in front of us. The BCCI has been very active in that. They did not allow Pakistan players in the IPL. You can see that no Pakistani team is involved in the Champions League. The cricket boards in India and Pakistan have always remained independent of military and political tensions between the countries.
Why do you think it has happened?
You should ask those who are running BCCI today. In my time, there were people like Madhavrao Scindia, AC Muthiah, Rajsingh Dungarpur, IS Bindra and Jagmohan Dalmiya who never let politics come into the game. The current people, who are running the BCCI, have let politics into cricket.
But how can the BCCI ignore the governments advice?
The Indian government is on record saying that it has not given instruction to the BCCI to exclude Pakistani players from the IPL. If you see the FTP, only four countries are playing among themselves.And you look at the number of times India played Australia in the last seven or eight years.At the same time, there is no clear cut schedule between India and Pakistan in the new FTP. It is because the ICC is weak. In my time, every country played with every other country in a four-year cycle. That rule has been corrupted.
But dont you think India-Australia and India-England series make for great economics?
I can assure you that India-Pakistan series will far exceed the value of any of these series. This argument of economic viability can hold good from an Australian or English point of view but not from an Indian point of view. The right way forward is to put cricket ahead of politics and financial power. Time is a great healer and things will change soon.
What is the way forward for Pakistan cricket?
It is a sad state of affairs in Pakistan. The controversies, from spot fixing to lack of unity, are because of the mismanagement of the PCB.
The ICC has said the boards will have to de-link from the government. Is it possible in Pakistan?
Government interference has harmed Pakistan cricket but this whole thing is not targeted at Pakistan at all. This is motivated by the BCCI because of Indias sports ministrys proposed legislation for accountability from the national bodies.The BCCI does not want that and that is the real reason. I welcome this legislation. The BCCI can no longer be able to come to the ICC and say that the government does not want an India-Pakistan series.
