Government control over PCB is undesirable

Pakistan cricket was ruled by three dictators during the last one decade. Unprecedented expansion took place in the strength and organisation of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) during this period. Though the quantum of work remained the same as it was in the past, the three chairmen, a general, a diplomat and a doctor used the PCB as a rehabilitation centre for their relatives, friends and associates. Indiscriminate spending of board’s money took place in providing top class perks and privileges to their favorites, most of them being non-technocrats with no knowledge of the game. Some of them drew such fabulous salaries that they could never dream of. Those brought on deputation from government departments drew monthly emoluments of Rs 200,000 to 500,000 as against the government’s provision of only 25 percent of their original pay as deputation allowance. The strength of personnel on PCB’s pay roll rose to around 700 with a salary bill of around Rs 30 million per month. All this made a mockery of the board that was run by less than a hundred people including the ground staff in the good old days.

The PCB was run as a ‘one man show’. It functioned without a constitution for nearly seven years, only because the trio of chairmen did not want to lose their dictatorial powers. The job of revising the constitution, which took few months in 1978-79, was performed by these high profile chairmen in seven years. The revised the draft was no better than a ‘pack of trash’. I raised ten vital issues (objections) and sent them to the concerned officials in the federal government but no one paid any heed. A committee of so-called experts is on the job of framing the new constitution. Let us hope it benefits the game and not its ‘governors’.

The former chairmen concentrated more on ‘development programmes’ involving expenditure to the tune of millions rather than ‘promotion of the game’. Such a reversal of emphasis degenerated the standard of cricket to such an extent that Pakistan was out of the World Cup 2003 in the preliminary round while in the World Cup 2007 we lost to a non-entity team like Ireland. The high slogan of development also proved a farce because we saw nothing on the ground except for the PCB Academy building at the Gaddafi Stadium. Millions were spent on the projects that were absolutely un-productive. We even read the news about the creation of one hundred grounds at a cost of Rs 200 million. No one knows where these grounds are located and in what state they are?

The cricket set-up under discussion even failed to enforce unity, faith and discipline in the game. The instances of infighting amongst both the players as well as the officials were rampant. The board lacked efficiency because the captains, managers, coaches, selectors and even chief executives were appointed on the basis of whims and fancies and not merit. Favourites with no connection with cricket were appointed managers, analysts, media advisors and on other prized posts and given financial benefits to the tune of millions. While in the olden days only three officials used to accompany the team going abroad, the trio of non-technocrat chairmen made it a practice to send 8-10 officials with the team. Pakistan perhaps created a world record when on a tour of the West Indies there were 22 persons in our team. They also made it a point that the chairman and his close associates in the board must visit the country that the Pakistan team was touring.

The decade under discussion was infested with corruption, glaring irregularities, inefficiency, favoritism and a spate of other undesirable activities. Surprisingly, the ministry of sports and others concerned in the government acted as silent spectators all these years, because dozens of their dear ones were inducted in the PCB in one capacity or the other and were enjoying a luxurious life. The second factor being that each PCB top brass had strong connection with the high ups. Now when the control of cricket has come in the hands of its legitimate owners – the cricket community, the ministry of sports has all of a sudden woken up from a deep slumber and started a campaign to take it over.

The proposal is shocking for the cricket lovers because they have seen the game badly suffer at the hands of a band of non-technocrats. Having no sportsmen in its set up, the ministry lacks the expertise of handling sports. Their incompetence is proved by the fact that except for cricket the other sports like hockey, football, tennis, squash, boxing, swimming, volleyball, badminton and athletics etc have always been under the control of the highly trumpeted ministry of sports. Where do we stand on the world sports map? As mentioned in my previous columns, the cricket administration is a science. The game can be efficiently run by those who have played it, managed it or have been associated with it in one capacity or the other.

I would advise the government of Pakistan to take its hand off the PCB and let it be controlled by the newly formed body under Ijaz Butt. The ministry of sports having no cricketers in its set up would lack the expertise to run it efficiently. It would thus be highly undesirable to place the PCB under it. Doing so will turn the PCB from the ‘house of cricket to the ‘house of politics’ that will be detrimental for progress of the game.