It is a matter of shame that Pakistan cricket administration degenerated to such an extent that the International Cricket Council (ICC), the governing body of world cricket, had to intervene. After closely watching our players performance, conduct and discipline going deep down the drain, the game’s management falling below international standards and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) acting like a silent spectator, the ICC was compelled to jump into the fray. They appointed a committee called the Pakistan Task Team (PTT) to probe into the affairs and suggest reforms. Should we call it the irony of fate or the outcome of incompetence, inefficiency and corruption on the part of those handling the affairs of our cricket In my opinion, which is based on vast experience of handling cricket affairs from a club to international levels, the disgraceful situation that our cricket is facing is the result of our own making. The deterioration has not occurred overnight. Though the present set up of the PCB has broken all records of inefficiency and corruption, the things have taken a decade or so in coming to the lowest ebb. The major factor responsible for making a laughing stock of our cricket in the world has been the appointment of incompetent heads of the cricket board by the President of Pakistan in his capacity as patron-in-chief of the PCB. Good or bad, the President of Pakistan has been the patron of the cricket board since its very inception. The system worked pretty well for almost half a century because while the patrons themselves remained the nominal heads only, they did not allow other government officials or political figures to interfere in the functioning of the board. Those appointed as presidents of the board were competent as well as honest with no lust for power. While the secretary (now CEO) being head of the secretariat was the kingpin of the board dealing with bulk of the cricket matters, the president (now chairman) acted only as a controller cum advisor.While the various committees formed by the board handled their respective subjects, the board’s council, that was an efficient blend of administrators and former cricketers, played an active role in the formation of policies and their implementation. It also closely supervised the functions of the board and pointing out irregularities if any. All this will indicate that it was not a one-man rule. All matters were mutually discussed and decided by the officials concerned. No chairman of the board was as power hungry as those politically appointed after the year 2000. Acting like Hitler, Mr Ijaz Butt, the present PCB chairman, has broken all previous records as far as the ‘one man show of power is concerned’.The downfall of our cricket started a decade back when these political appointees took the throne of the PCB which is no less than a kingdom when compared with other sports bodies. Although they were men of high stature they found the PCB much more powerful in authority and jurisdiction and more lucrative in perks and privileges than any other sphere of life. As I have said on some previous occasions, ‘cricket administration is a science in itself and can only be run by the people who have passed through it.Since these political appointees had no knowledge and experience of the game the downfall of cricket was natural. The biggest damage they inflicted on the cricket board was that after putting its constitution in the dustbin every chairman assumed total power to run the PCB as the king of a state. They employed their dear ones in the board so liberally that within a decade the strength of the PCB’s employees rose from around 80 to 600. What such a huge number of people do is beyond one’s comprehension. They believed in enjoying life to the hilt with promotion of cricket being a secondary affair.Considering the fact that Ijaz was a former cricketer as well as an administrator his appointment was hailed by the cricket fraternity but he disappointed all and sundry more than his non-cricketing predecessors. His three years period on the PCB throne has, however, been absolutely disgusting in all respects especially the grooming and character building of young players which brought shame and embarrassment to the whole nation. In an effort to become a dictator with overwhelming powers, he destroyed all the unity, strength, discipline and harmony both among the players as well as the officials. His relationship with the ICC also remained sore most of the time. To raise the Pakistan cricket to its rightful place the ICC appointed the PTT which suggested 63 points for improvement. Ijaz has rejected the report in toto. The confrontation with the ICC, being the controlling body of the game, will ruin Pakistan cricket further. We must analyse the PTT report wisely and find methods to improve the PCB’s administration, raising standards of the game and eliminating irregularities, faults and follies.
