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NEWS UPDATE : Asian Cricket Third Sri Lanka-Pakistan ODI abandoned due to rain COLOMBO: The third One-day International between Sri Lanka and Pakistan was abandoned due to rain here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday. The umpires made this decision after consulting ... Australia want to master all forms of game: Clarke SYDNEY: Australia's limited-overs tour of England and Ireland represents the start of a two-year campaign to make them the top nation in all three forms of the game, captain Michael Clarke said ... Bopara glad to be back for England SOUTHAMPTON, England: Ravi Bopara is eager to make up for lost times as he tries to revive his ... South Africa name unchanged squad for England series JOHANNESBURG: South Africa have kept faith with a winning formula by naming an unchanged squad for the three-Test series in England starting next month, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced on ...


Friday, July 01, 2011

Imran backs ICC ban on government meddling

KARACHI: Pakistan's legendary former captain Imran Khan on Thursday welcomed a decision from cricket's governing body to ban political appointments, calling for a total revamp of the national board.The ICC executive board on Thursday gave cricket boards 12 months to implement free elections and another 12-month grace period to enact the changes before any sanctions would be considered.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), whose chairman Ijaz Butt was appointed by the president, was not immediately reachable for comment but it has threatened legal action in the past if the constitution is changed.Khan, one of Pakistan's most vocal opposition politicians and who founded the Tehrik-e-Insaaf (Movement for Justice) after retiring from cricket in 1992, welcomed the amendment.He said that the PCB now had a chance to become a real institution if the system was overhauled."The amendment will help Pakistan as there is no transparency and accountability in the current set-up," Khan told "But to gain full benefit, Pakistan must fix the cricket structure with a new constitution on regional grounds where officials are elected."Khan said the changes could allow Pakistan to perform better."If we have our cricket structure right, Pakistan has more talent than anywhere in the world, and we will dominate the world," said Khan, who led Pakistan to their only World Cup title in 1992.Former PCB chairman Arif Abassi said reform had long been needed.
"I resigned in 1996 because there was uncalled for government interference when I wanted to make the PCB a private company with shares," said Abassi.Abassi said the ICC was after Pakistan after a slew of public irregularities and said: "It's now time we find the right people to overhaul our system and who know how to do it," he said.But fellow former PCB chief Khalid Mahmood rejected the ICC imposition as a violation of Pakistan's independence."The ICC has no business to tell us how to run our cricket," said Mahmood, calling for legal action if necessary."We must resist on this and although legal action is the last resort, one has to back it because we have to draw a line on sovereignty," said Mahmood.Former spinner Iqbal Qasim thought Pakistan would have trouble in enacting the change."While other Boards like England and Australia have a proper system, Pakistan will face some problems in implementing the change and they will need to overhaul the system from grass-root level," said Qasim."We need to think out a proper plan, be it with the government's help, to implement the change in two years."Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are also directly affected by the amendment as their cricketing affairs are similarly run on government directives.