The PCB, The ICC, & a Legal Case
The reason I don't talk about all this crap - Pakistan's World Cup host status being stripped, the PCB's reaction, and everything that comes with all this - is because I don't like to get involved in discussing messy politics.
And all this is exactly that - messy politics. It is not cricket that is being discussed here, hence I feel it is out of my jurisidiction to pass an opinion on whether Pakistan is a safe place or not.
Don't get me wrong. What happened to Sri Lanka was unfortunate, and we were one of the first people to call that international cricket be taken away from Pakistan.
We also said that the PCB should do the right thing and step down as World Cup hosts.
Anyhow, the point of this post was not to explain our stance on the whole situation, but to point out a pargmatic and non-cynical view of the whole situation, and more importantly an unbiased one.
A number of bloggers have lashed out at the PCB for the legal case that they have filed. The general opinion, outside of Pakistan, is the same as has been presented by these bloggers.
They are not wrong.
But, what needs to be understood here is what the PCB, Pakistan cricket, the Pakistani public, and the people connected to all of this are going through.
All we need is a bit of sympathy and help - maybe our way of asking for it is wrong, but the intentions are not.
I'm not going to rant on so here's the piece by Kartikeya - as I said its pragmatic, non-cynical, unbiased, and above all presents the reality that needs to be understood.
Thank you Kartikeya.
And all this is exactly that - messy politics. It is not cricket that is being discussed here, hence I feel it is out of my jurisidiction to pass an opinion on whether Pakistan is a safe place or not.
Don't get me wrong. What happened to Sri Lanka was unfortunate, and we were one of the first people to call that international cricket be taken away from Pakistan.
We also said that the PCB should do the right thing and step down as World Cup hosts.
Anyhow, the point of this post was not to explain our stance on the whole situation, but to point out a pargmatic and non-cynical view of the whole situation, and more importantly an unbiased one.
A number of bloggers have lashed out at the PCB for the legal case that they have filed. The general opinion, outside of Pakistan, is the same as has been presented by these bloggers.
They are not wrong.
But, what needs to be understood here is what the PCB, Pakistan cricket, the Pakistani public, and the people connected to all of this are going through.
All we need is a bit of sympathy and help - maybe our way of asking for it is wrong, but the intentions are not.
I'm not going to rant on so here's the piece by Kartikeya - as I said its pragmatic, non-cynical, unbiased, and above all presents the reality that needs to be understood.
Thank you Kartikeya.
.jpg)
asking for sympathy ? that doesnt come by blaming the world for the mess in cricket setup of your country and ignoring your own (PCB) faults.
Strip Ijaz Butt of his post. There was an article in one of your country's newspapers why this man shud be removed. dont recollect who or which paper, but that was classic stuff.
go make those guys read that article.
Except Pakistan for now nobody can help the setup...And final note calling ICC shit also wont help cos they are the ones who run the game.
I agree Pakistan need help and deserve sympathy.
But threatening legal action is helping nobody; least of all Pakistan.
@Leg Break: Well, if there's a legal case that Pakistan was wrongly stripped, then I think Pakistan should pursue it.
Look, I have no respect for the PCB. And I think it's the right decision that the WC was taken away from Pakistan. But the manner was disappointing.
ICC should have first discussed with Pakistan, and asked them to pull out as hosts. Offered some kind of compensation in return.
If that avenue failed, then they should have asked other countries to try to convince Pakistan.
Or maybe offer a reduced number of games to host, provided they were held in the UAE.
Unceremoniously stripping them was unfortunate.
And if there's a breach of contract in there, then why not pursue it?
@Sledge,
Because Pakistan needs all the help it can get from the ICC as well as the countries that make up the ICC.
Have a whinge behind closed doors, demand some favours in return for the poor process, but don’t bite the hand that feeds.
Dirty politics, power struggle, perennial punching bag - you can call it all you want, but the truth is that it is only most unfortunate to see a country with such a rich history in the game taking ten steps backwards for every step taken forward by the rest of the world.
However, I have no sympathy for the PCB, for they have been trying to ruin the game in Pakistan for decades now with the messiest of politics, the most corrupt of governors and administrations that play musical chairs every year. They could not give a monkey's if the world cup was held in Timbaktu, as long as the sponsors kept filling their pockets.
Its the people and players of Pakistan that I have the most sympathy for. The common man.
Trying not to sound too political, I feel the issue with Pakistan cricket is only the tip of the iceberg. Yes, you can play the 'being trapped in the midst of terrorism' card, but the larger picture is of an inadequately elected and incompetent President of the state who has absolutely no idea. PCB can file all the legal cases it wants, but the root of the problem is more local than it thinks.
I really feel for Pakistani cricket fans. First losing out on all International cricket and then the world cup was a big blow.
I think to remove the world cup from Pak was the right decision but I guess the way sledgehammer put it - "ICC should have first discussed with Pakistan, and asked them to pull out as hosts" - would have been the right thing to do.
Having said that, I think a legal case against ICC will only ruin Pakistan's relations with other countries. Right now all news about Pakistan is dominated by the Taliban and unfortunately its all negative all the time. Hence PCB sueing ICC etc will not go down well with any other country either.
Honestly the situation is so complex, serious and tense with those extremists trying to take over Pak, many people from outside just won't know how to react to things like simple cricket. Their mind will always be preoccupied by the other news.
Sam: I haven't blamed anyone for any mess.
LB: I understand what ur saying regarding not biting the hand that feeds you, but u need to see where the legal case if coming from. As Sledge points out, the biggets thing is being answerable to the public at home, who are the losers in all of this. Secondly, if in fact there was no procedure, no one tried talking to PCB the way Sledge says they should have, then why not pursue it?
If u get fired, u expect an explanation at the least. And there is a procedure behind it - performance review, etc. Even when the recession hit, there was a reason some people got fired, and others didn't.
Well said Slegde.
RZDI: Unfortunate maybe understating it. Its sad how far the game has been pushed back in Pak. No one to blame more than the PCB. And as u put it rightly, this is only the tip... the overall situation in the country needs to be improved first, before we can even think abt hosting cricket there.
We all understand that.. but taking the cup away from Pak could have been done in a more systematic manner.
Rayden: Its always good to see rational views like yours from the other side :-) ..
Not much we can do for the problems to go away but hope.
The case may not be the right idea but it is a way to get the point across - justice not to host the cup but to be told not to hold it properly.
Dude...we all sympathise with you, but then how can you blame the ICC from removing the world cup from Pakistan? There is talk of a surrogate host theory, why doesn't Pakistan officially table this? Your internal security is the Government's problem. You're fighting a civil war 100 kms from your capital...how can you reasonably expect people to play in a war-stricken country? A country where there has been an attack on a national cricket team...Please cite one instance where such an attack has taken place before any of the other co-hosts?
Sameer Seh: Welcome to Well Pitched.
I am not denying the problems that Pakistan faces. I also agree that no other country has had cricketers being attacked the way Pakistan had, hence there is no doubt that it makes Pakistan unsafe to play cricket.
I never argued against the ICC taking the WC away from Pakistan - All I am arguing for, like the PCB, is the process.
Why didn't the ICC open a dialogue with the PCB? Why didn't they discuss the potential problems with them and try and work together on possible solutions? When the PCB suggested the UAE as a surrogate host, why did the ICC deny it? Why was there no process to reach to this conclusion?
It was an unceremonious dump for Pakistan, and no matter how severe the problems, we did not deserve that.
Had the ICC discussed it rationally, the PCB might have voluntarily stepped down.