Clamour grows for PCB to reveal details of ban

Lahore, Mon, Mar 15 2010 (PTI) - Former Test captains, ex-board officials and fans called on the Pakistan Cricket Board to reveal details of the charges against the seven players who were punished by the PCB earlier this week.

The demand for the board to come out with the details came during a cricket show on the Geo Super Channel. The program saw some former players supporting the action against the players, while others described it as a futile exercise.

Former Test captain Zaheer Abbas and former Test leg-spinner Abdul Qadir lauded the board action insisting it was a long overdue decision.

"I don't agree with the way the board is being run but I think it was inevitable to take such hard decisions to end the culture of players power in the team," Zaheer said on the show.

He also said in future the board must give complete authority to the manager to take immediate disciplinary action against any player and the board must back him all the way.

Abdul Qadir said that while the method of reaching the conclusion to penalize the players might be flawed, the fact is the intent shown by the board is right.

"It is a brave and courageous decision of the board to penalize these players but I just hope the board sticks to their decision and does not back down," Qadir said.

He also called on the cricket fraternity to support the board on this issue.

Former Test captains, Moin Khan and Aamir Sohail, however, felt the whole system was flawed.

"Having a controversial personality like Yawar Saeed on the inquiry committee was a biased decision and secondly I think it is imperative to make the report of the inquiry committee public at all costs," Sohail said.

Moin said that he doubted the competency and intent of the inquiry committee which recommended the bans and fines on players.

"If the players are to be disciplined then I think the board officials should also be held responsible for their blunders," he added.

Former Chairman of the board, Lt General (Retd) Tauqir Zia stated that he didn't understand why the board had not followed the laid down procedure for taking disciplinary action against players in the board constitution.

"But anyway now the board must give the reasons for their strong decision. Bcause seeing the severity of the bans and fines it appears as if the players have committed serious crimes," he said.

Former Pakistan team manager Talat Ali said he didn't see any reason for the inquiry committee when the manager, coach and captain had given their tour reports.

"The board should have taken action based on these reports. There was no need to form this inquiry committee. Then the board should have issued show cause notices to the players," Talat who was sacked as manager by the present PCB Chairman in 2008 said.