Former chief of International Cricket Council (ICC) Ehsan Mani fears after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) filed for compensation against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He thinks this step can add more bitterness in the relation of both boards.
Last week, PCB filed a case against BCCI to give them compensation of 70 million USD as they failed to full fill bilateral series agreement.
Talking to Geo Sports, Mani said “I have concerns about the consequences of this case whatever its outcome. What I am concerned about is the affect it is going to have on cricket relations between the two countries in the long run.”
He further added “I just think all avenues of talks, discussions and backdoor diplomacy were not explored by the PCB before going ahead with its compensation claim in the ICC. I would have waited and first exhausted all options of trying to get something out of India for them not playing bilateral ties with Pakistan before opting for the compensation claim option.”
Mani served ICC from 2003 to 2006 as President and fears that there is no guarantee BCCI will pay the amount irrespective of ICC’s decision. “Say if Pakistan is successful in its compensation claim what happens if India holds back the money. Then Pakistan has to go to the ICC board and it will not help relations between both countries.”
There is clause from ICC, which says Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC)’s decision can’t be challenged elsewhere, but often money related case gets ugly.
“If India holds back on payment what does Pakistan do, does it ask the ICC to deduct India’s share of revenues from ICC events? Can the ICC do that?” Mani described.
He revealed that in ICC’s clause, the interference of any government wouldn’t be tolerated in any of its member’s affairs. “India says it is not getting government clearance to play Pakistan and that clause will then become important in this case. But overall I think there will be bad blood and feelings and it will impact future cricket relations between the two,” he quoted.
Mani clarified that former BCCI President and ICC Chairman N Srinivasan was not in favor of a resumption of Indo-Pak ties. “He was not good news when he was there at the helm of affairs. He was anti-Pakistan and in his tenure all chances of India taking initiative to get government clearance to play regular bilateral cricket with Pakistan were non-existent,” Mani quoted.
While lashing at ICC’s decisions against BCCI and their position in the governing body, he said “India does contribute significantly to the ICC revenues but I don’t buy this 70 percent talk. The bottom line is ICC failed itself by not exploring the markets of USA and China. Even today there just has to be the right moves made to make India realize that it can’t operate independently in world cricket.”
