LAHORE: Expressing disappointment over the comments made and language used by the former PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja against Chairman of the PCB Management Committee Najam Sethi, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Wednesday that Raja’s comparison about his and Najam Sethi’s expenses during his previous term is misleading and inaccurate as the circumstances are incomparable.
The PCB believes that the Raja’s comments are aimed at tarnishing and damaging the impeccable reputation of present Chairman Sethi, adding it reserves its rights to pursue legal proceedings to protect and defend the image and credibility of its Chairman and the institution.
Clarifying the position, PCB spokesman said the HBL-PSL 2016 to 2018 were held offshore, implying many visits to the UAE to organise the marquee tournament; however, no PSL allowances have ever been paid to current Chairman Najam Sethi. In contrast, PSL 2022 was held under former Chairman Raja and was staged only in Karachi and Lahore.
“The current Chairman was required to make frequent visits to the UAE for PSL and bilateral series and for related meetings and car allowance was paid to him as per the Board of Governor’s approval as he had used his personal armoured vehicle due to security threats. On the contrary, the PCB provided former Chairman Raja a brand new armoured vehicle costing Rs16.5 million,” he said, adding: “Security expense of current Chairman was high owing to additional security that needed to be provided to him as he was a former Chief Minister of the Punjab province and the Intelligence Bureau and Special Branch Punjab had issued advised of threats to him.”
According to spokesman, the PCB patron, on the popular demand of cricket fans, administrators as well as former and current cricketers, exercised his constitutional right by restoring the PCB Constitution 2014 to safeguard the livelihoods, wellbeing and careers of professional cricketers as it recognised the role of departmental cricket, which was not the case in the PCB Constitution 2019 promulgated by the PTI government.
He said the PCB COO Salman Naseer has already rebutted Ramiz Raja’s allegations that he was not allowed to collect his belongings by confirming these were picked up personally by him and will be returned to him Wednesday as a part of the usual handing and taking over process. Ramiz Raja was never stopped from entering the Gaddafi Stadium premises and will be welcome to visit any time in future, he added.
Similar to Najam Sethi’s appointment as Chairman of the PCB Management Committee, Ramiz Raja had also been elected as the PCB Chairman on the eve of the 2021-22 domestic season on 13th September 2021 and two days after the New Zealand cricket team had arrived in Islamabad on their first tour in 18 years, the spokesman added.
It may be noted that the PCB Management Committee, in its first meeting on 23rd December 2022, had approved the dissolution of all Committees, including the National Selection Committees, pursuant to the repeal of the PCB Constitution 2019 under which they had been constituted. Consequently, on 24th December 2022, the Men’s National Selection Committee, following four successive Tests loses at home this year was replaced by an interim selection panel under former captain Shahid Afridi.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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