Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), promised Thursday that the board would defend Pakistani cricket’s interests at tomorrow’s meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the Champions Trophy impasse.
An ICC official confirmed on Tuesday that a meeting to decide the fate of the Champions Trophy, which will take place in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9, would take place on Friday.
After the ICC informed the PCB that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had notified the world governing body that its national team would not be traveling to Pakistan for the eight-nation tournament, the PCB repeatedly rejected proposals earlier in the month that would have permitted India to play in a neutral third country.
Speaking to the media on Thursday during a regular inspection of the Gaddafi Stadium renovations in Lahore, Naqvi stated that the ICC should follow equity when determining whether to host the Champions Trophy the next year.
According to him, the PCB was adamant about rejecting the hybrid concept that the BCCI had suggested.
While his staff maintained continual communication with the ICC, Naqvi claimed that he was in contact with former ICC Chairman Greg Barclay.
“We have a very clear position. Naqvi assured the reporters, “We will leave the ICC meeting with a win-win situation for Pakistan cricket and make the country happy.”
He declared that he would follow the guidelines set down by the ICC meeting and consult his government on any decisions it made.
He dismissed the idea that the PCB would pick the hybrid model despite the ICC’s superior financial returns, saying that the PCB’s interests would be closely monitored and Pakistan cricket’s interests would be given first priority at the ICC meeting.
He emphasized that parity must be upheld in cricketing issues and that it was intolerable that the Pakistani team played cricket in India but the Indian squad did not visit Pakistan.
In response to a question concerning Jay Shah’s appointment as ICC chairman earlier this year, Naqvi stated that Shah would make choices commensurate with his position and that, while serving as the head of the world cricket organization, he would act in the best interests of the ICC and all cricketing boards.
