Giles Clarke, Chairman of England & Wales Cricket Board, is prepared to visit Pakistan to make a personal plea to the country's president Asif Ali Zardari to reduce political involvement in the game, The Guardian newspaper reported Thursday.
Clarke chaired an ICC Pakistan task team that recommended freedom from political interference as a vital step towards the successful management of the game in Pakistan, and he is prepared to present his case directly to Zardari after meeting fierce resistance to the proposals.
The ICC has since adopted need for political independence world-wide, giving countries such as Pakistan two years to adjust their constitution - a decision that Pakistan did not object to at annual meeting in Hong Kong last month. But Pakistan Cricket Board has thrown proposed changes into doubt, arguing that "the circumstances in Pakistan are unique" and that the system "cannot certainly be labelled as faulty", the report said.
In an official response, PCB said: "The circumstances in Pakistan are unique and cricket administration requires and deserves government support, without which international cricket may not be able to return to Pakistan. Keeping in view the extraordinary security situation in the country, having the President as patron of PCB adds tremendous value and comfort. It should be appreciated that a system that has propelled Pakistan to the top of the cricket world has been in place for approximately 60 years and cannot certainly be labelled as faulty."
Clarke wants to go to Pakistan to ensure the task team's reasons are clearly outlined, and to counter criticism from Pakistan that task team did not spend enough time in the country before making recommendations intended to improve Pakistan cricket's efficiency and integrity. PCB also rejects task team's recommendation that captains should be selected by a selection committee, and that the system where a captain is appointed by PCB chairman, currently Ijaz Butt, and approved by the governing board, should be abolished.
"We respectfully disagree with this recommendation," PCB said. "In Pakistan system of selecting a captain is different. No reason has been given by Pakistan task team in support of its recommendation that a selection committee is the best judge of who the captain of Pakistan should be. If this recommendation is based on what other countries follow, it may not work for Pakistan. Again the authority to nominate the captain has been delegated by the governing board to the chairman.