ICC stops PCB from giving statements on ICL: Butt

Karachi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) objected to Pakistan Cricket Board officials making statements on the rebel Indian Cricket League. When Javed Miandad called for lifting the ban on Pakistani players, the ICC objected to the PCB, said Ijaz Butt on Monday.

“After Miandad Director-General of the PCB made a statement on the ICL, and I agreed with him, the ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat emailed us and told us that giving statements on ICL is against the rules of the ICC and we must stop PCB officials from doing that,” Butt said in a night show on GEO Super.

Around 18 players from Pakistan joined the rebel league last year and were barred from playing in and for Pakistan. They included former captain Inzamam-ul Haq, Rana Navedul Hasan, Mohammad Sami and Imran Nazir – who all played in the 2007 World Cup.
Butt categorically said that ban on ICL players will remain until the matter is solved.

“We have not stopped the players, it is the ICC rules which bar players from playing for member countries. They have played for an unrecognised league,” said Butt.

PCB chairman denied his Board was under pressure from the BCCI on the ICL issue.

“In fact the BCCI is under pressure on the ICL issue. I spoke in the ICC meeting in October and told them that the ICC and BCCI were on weaker grounds if the ICL took them to the court and in fact the ICC asked the BCCI to solve the matter because they realise that they are on weaker legal grounds.”

Butt also renewed his verbal attackon the Nasim Ashraf-led Board. “They did a lot of irregular things. The COO Shafqat Naghmi took away some important files. There were 1000 people working in the PCB at that time. Money was wasted by the previous setup. We took action by releasing some of the staff and the sword is still hanging on many others.”

“A lot of money was watsed on insuring the series against Australia and we did not get a single penny after Australia refused to tour us,” Butt added.