LAHORE - Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) executive committee chairman Najam Sethi has said that he is ready to give India befitting reply in the next International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting.
Sethi was present at the final of 2nd National Schools Championship 2016 as a chief guest and distributed prizes among the top performers.
Earlier, BCCI president Anurag Thakur said that the Indian cricket board would look to follow the Indian government’s policy of isolating Pakistan and has conveyed the same message to the ICC. “Keeping in mind that the government has adopted a new strategy to isolate Pakistan and in view of the public sentiment in the country, we request the ICC not to put India and Pakistan in the same pool of the multi-nation tournaments,” he added.
When Sethi was reminded about this statement of BCCI chief, he said he didn’t hear about it. But he stated: “I will go to Cape Town on October 11 to take part in the next ICC meeting as PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan is not well and I am nominated for it. I will attend the meeting with full preparations and give India befitting reply.” When asked next year in 2017, this was India’s term to host the Pakistan-India series, so what would be Pakistan’s stance in this regard, the PSL chief replied: “There is no headway on the issue of resumption of Pakistan-India cricket ties. Whenever the series is played, Pakistan will be the host.”
Speaking about the second edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL), Sethi said the draft would take place on October 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “We are holding the draft in the UAE because all the foreign players will be there, and our professional teams too, so the draft will be held in the best possible manner.”
Replying to a query regarding hosting the PSL-2 final in Pakistan, Sethi said: “I have talked to Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, who has assured his all-out support in this regard. I have also written a letter to the administration and we are in touch with them, and the preparations to host the final in Lahore are going on.
“It is clearly written the forms, which we have given to the foreign players, that they have to play the final in Pakistan, and many of them have given their consent in this regard. So we are hopeful of hosting the final in Lahore.” Pakistan star all-rounder Shahid Afridi has asked the cricket board to give him farewell match, so that he might say good bye to his professional career in a befitting manner.
Replying to a query regarding giving farewell to former Pakistan T20 captain Shahid Afridi, Sethi said: “Afridi is our star and Pakistan didn’t produce such a player in modern times. We will do whatever we can do for him. I will meet him soon and discuss about the proposal.”
He said PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, head coach Mickey Arthur and chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq, who see cricket matters directly, had decided not to disturb the national team’s professionalism and not to give current game to Afridi. “We will have more games in future, where Afridi will be provided chance and given the best farewell.”