KARACHI - Former chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Zaka Ashraf believed that the game has suffered after his departure due to lack of administration and policies within the board. "I left Pakistan cricket in a good standing. But it has gone down in the recent past," he said in statement on Monday.
He said former champions Pakistan's ouster from the league rounds of ICC World Twenty20 was highly disappointing and depressing for the nation as tall claims has been made. He was of the view that Pakistan cricket team's showing had gone down in T20, One-Day Internationals as well in Test matches.
M Hafeez's Pakistan team failed to qualify for the semi-finals of World Twenty20 after winning the crown under Younus Khan in England in 2009. He said he was not saying in the personal grudge after his ouster from the PCB but that is part of history. "When I was the chairman, Pakistan made a historic clean- sweep against World number England 3-0 in Test series," he recalled.
Zaka alleged that current PCB chairman Najam Sethi was making tall claims by announcing various tours and an income of 30 billion by the next decade. He said he was the first elected chairman of the PCB to end ad-hocism in the board and was honourably restored by the Islamabad High Court.
Zaka said that Pakistan team performed poorly in ICC World T20 despite presence of three captains in team. "These captains were playing for their personal causes instead of team's cause," he commented. Former captains Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik were part of the team played under Hafeez. "I felt disunity and scary feeling within the team the way the performed against West Indies," he remarked.
He also expressed his surprise on the induction of tainted players as the officials despite recommendation of Justice Qayyum report not to consider them for future assignments in the national team. Former PCB chairman said he took the principal step of not joining "Big Three" as per the wishes of the nations.
He said strong steps needed to put cricket back on the track after World T20 debacle in Bangladesh.