The Islamabad High Court has been asked to formulate a fact-finding commission over reports of grouping in the Pakistan cricket team that led to poor performance in the current World Cup.
Advocate Bilal Farooq filed a writ petition in the IHC under the Article 199 of the Constitution, stating the national cricket board is answerable to the nation vis-à-vis the courts "Owing to its present day precarious operations that are causing shame, disrepute and dishonour to the citizens of Pakistan."
He said an inquiry should be conducted against those responsible for selecting the team. It also said that the court should look into the team selection procedure. The petition referred the statement of Prime Minister Imran Khan wherein certain players were called good for nothing "which implied that the best squad was not selected."
The petitioner further prayed to the court to summon Shoaib Akhtar, Rashid Latif and Muhammad Waseem for assistance of the court. The petition maintained that winning and losing is a part of the game but recent failures of the Pakistan cricket team and the gradual downfall of the standard of cricket in the country manifest politicking and nepotism and the respondents should be held answerable for the performance.
The respondents of the petition are: the prime minister, Ministry for Inter-Provincial Coordination, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the selection committee of the PCB. Arguing that the national team is "Tainted with politicking and grouping" and that such practices have been rampant for years, the people involved are still part of the team and "enjoying privileges."
"One player namely Shoaib Malik has previously been found guilty of this. It is for the respondents to answer as to why and how a player of such credentials and such mediocre cricketing skills is still part of the team," the petition stated.
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