By Asif Suhail
Pakistan Cricket Board is set to have a new boss after incumbent Chairman Shaharyar Khan’s tenure ends in August. Though media has floated a couple of names including Speaker national Assembly Ayaz Sadiq, sacked federal minister Pervaiz Rasheed and ZTBL President Syed Talat Mehmood yet eccentric and controversial Najam Sethi has minced no word and publically announced his desire to replace Shaharyar.
Let’s evaluate the credential of Sethi who is desperate to grab the PCB once again despite his alleged undertaking to the Apex Court that he would never contest the PCB elections. His mysterious activities and a controversial but maneuvered resolution passed by the PCB general body in a bizarre way has already exposed his week position.
He knows that this time he will not get a nod from the Patron-in-Chief whose fate is at the mercy of the JIT constituted by the Supreme Court. Sethi’s resignation from the Geo is also seen as an attempt to please the Military Establishment, perhaps.
During his over three year stay with the PCB, Sethi has not done anything worthwhile which may strengthen his already frail CV. His much trumpeted MoU signed with the BCCI in 2014 died down last week when Indian Sports Minister Vijay Goel made it clear that the government would not allow any bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan till the time “cross-border terrorism” does not stop.
Indian minister’s statement came just hours before a high powered PCB delegation led by an over-glorified diplomat Shaharyar Khan, garrulous Sethi and a very Calculating Subhan Ahmed – who knows the art of shifting loyalties at the proper time – with low ranked BCCI officials comprising Joint Secretary Amitabh Chaudhary, CEO Rahul Johri and GM Cricket Operations MV Sridhar. The meeting ended in Dubai last week without making any breakthrough.
As usual Sethi used MoU for his advantage and fooled the whole nation for three long years. He was a vocal supporter of Big Three and had said: “It was bound to happen and the PCB should get used to it”. He had also made huge claims that the PCB would get richer by billions of rupees after six bilateral series with India.
However, the PCB has failed to get any benefit from the MoU. Even PCB’s threat to take a legal action and demanded $60 million compensation from the BCCI has bounced back leaving Sethi and his false claims badly exposed.
Sethi’s another feat is to project a bad image of Pakistani cricketers worldwide. In February this year Sethi publically suspended Khalid Latif and Sharjeel Khan, members of the Islamabad United in the PSL, amid their involvement in spot-fixing.
His boastful claim was that the Board had substantial proofs against the cricketers. The PCB formed a dubious Tribunal which is lingering on the case. Four months have passed but Sethi has not presented substantial proofs to the Tribunal. Were there any substantial proofs? Informed cricket circles opine that the KHURRA of spot fixing will lead to the top Board officials including Mr. Puncture who had blown the whistle.
Sethi takes huge but wrong credit for staging the PSL final in Lahore. It was Pakistan Army’s show and when Sethi tried to take personal credit or give it to the government the whole Gaddafi Stadium rocked with “Go Nawaz Go”slogans.
Lately, Inter-Provincial Coordination Minister Riaz Hussain Peerzada has also given full credit to Pakistan Army for the final of PSL in Lahore.
According to media reports there was a tussle between Shaharyar Khan and Najum Sethi to get the free passes of the recent Pakistan-India cricket match at Birmingham. It is alleged that Sethi collected all the free tickets for the players and distributed them among his friends. Poor Shaharyar couldn’t stop him.
The PCB has remained in the doldrums and hiccups since the appointment of Shaharyar Khan and Sethi as Chairman and the head of the powerful Executive Committee respectively. The decision was taken by the Patron to reward Sethi for his suspicious role as caretaker chief minister of the Punjab during the general elections of 2013.
Sethi, who doesn’t know the alphabets of cricket, created his own lobby in the Board only to start an unnecessary tug of war against Shaharyar. Naila Bhatti, a former school teacher and daughter of a famous Lollywood actress, Aun Zaidi, and many other were inducted in the PCB only to project Sethi’s image.
We all have observed contradictory statements coming from Shaharyar and Sethi. Ms Bhatti was among some of the PCB employees who had not furnished their educational certificates to the Board. Deadlines after Deadlines were fixed but Sethi’s appointed staff remained adamant and poor Shaharyar failed to take an action against them.
One wonders that how can such a cheap person vie for the chairman of the PCB. The Patron must take a strong view of Sethi’s activities. Snub him or give him another institution to destroy.