New Delhi: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi has claimed Pakistan missed out on the opportunity to have a major say in the affairs of the International Cricket Council (ICC) after Zaka Ashraf took over as chief from him for a brief period.
According to Dawn news paper Sethi said, “The ‘Big Three' offered us to join in and form the ‘Big Four'. It is quite unfortunate that the talks I started with them were not pursued further by the Pakistan Cricket Board when I wasn't around.”
In February this year, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif removed Zaka Ashraf as chairman of the board, appointing an 11-member committee, headed by former interim PCB chief Najam Sethi, to run the affairs of the PCB.
Islamabad Cricket Association president Shakil Shaikh, who is also one of the members, said Ashraf was removed because of "mishandling Pakistan's case in the recent changes brought in the ICC."
Pakistan abstained from the voting in the ICC Board meeting in February in which the three biggest cricketing nations — India, Australia and England — got a majority of the powers in the sport's governing body, securing 9 votes from the 10 full members.
Sethi said Pakistan were now left with nothing.
“Now, no one is willing to give us anything, particularly India. And it was India that had made us that offer. Until and unless we play with India, we won't make any money. If we don't make any money our domestic system will suffer. Everyone is toeing India's line because playing with India makes you money.”
