Kolkata: The Pakistan Cricket Board is all set to file a compensation claim against the BCCI in the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee and has saved a sum of Rs. 1 billion ( Rs 100 crore in Pakistani rupees) to use it to bear the legal costs that would accompany.
In an interview on Saturday, the PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said the board of governors have given a green signal to them in going ahead with the case and using the budget for the legal costs.
“We have hired a British law firm to represent us in the case and file the compensation claim with the disputes resolution committee,” Khan said.
He also said that the PCB was left without an option after the BCCI declined to play a bilateral series despite an MoU signed between both these boards in 2014.
The BCCI earlier did not respond to the notice of intent sent by the PCB and after three rounds of talks with the officials of the Indian board, the PCB failed to have the BCCI’S decision altered.
He said, “The BCCI claims they can’t play any bilateral series with us since their government is not giving clearance to them.”
The MoU which was signed by both these countries earlier, said that India and Pakistan would be involved in six bilateral series between 2015 and 2022.
According to Shaharyar Khan, the PCB is has sent a notice to the BCCI demanding a compensation of USD 69 billion.
He said, “With India refusing to play us in a bilateral series we have lost millions in revenues. Even our broadcasting contract is clear that unless Pakistan and India don’t play a series or more during the tenure of the contract a sizeable amount is deducted from the contract amount (sic),.”
He also said that the clearance and security assurances of the Punjab government would be required for the World XI to visit Lahore on September 12 this year.
He said, “Giles Clarke who is organizing the tour as head of the ICC special task force on Pakistan cricket has some reservations over the delay in the PCB giving them clearance for the tour.”
He added that the PCB needs the security assurance from the Punjab government so that they could produce it in front of the ICC special task force.
Shaharyar also made it clear that the cricketing ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan wouldn’t be restored until the Afghanistan cricket board issues a public apology to them.
He said, “The Afghanistan board has (to) apologise for the way they publicly gave a statement about Pakistan and Pakistan cricket. We were surprised at their statement because we have always supported Afghanistan cricket.”
On the relationship with Bangladesh, he said that they would have have to tour Pakistan first as the latter has already made two tours to their country and a third one is highly unlikely.
Khan also opened up on the fact that the state of affairs in Pakistan’s domestic cricket isn’t as worse as it had been spoken of. He also said that their coaches were qualified and good.
The PCB chairman also added that the BOG wasn’t happy with the performance of the women’s team in the recently concluded World Cup.
“We all agree that there is a need for more players to come up on the women’s circuit as the same set of players more or less have been representing Pakistan for the last six to eight years,” said Khan.
He said that the PCB currently was in good hands after the emphatic Champions Trophy victory by Sarfraz Ahmed and his team which was a huge boost for Pakistan cricket, moreso as the other international teams had stopped touring the country since 2009 following a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus.
“Sarfraz Ahmed did a very good job as captain and we feel that since he has been made captain in all three formats and is still young Pakistan cricket has a good future ahead of it,” he said.