ISLAMABAD-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) organised a conference of former Test cricketers, coaches, first class players and officials of Rawalpindi-Islamabad, Peshawar and Abbottabad here at a local hotel on Sunday.

PCB chairman Shahryar Khan chaired the conference, while Islamabad Region president and PCB Governing Board member Shakil Shakih, Saqlain Mushtaq and others were present in the lengthy briefing. Surprisingly, the PCB never bothered to invite legend Sarfraz Nawaz, who is very much present in the federal capital and enjoy huge respect among the masses. The board also ignored the local sports journalists, who were promised to be onboard and even last night after the press conference at Pindi Stadium, Sharyar and Shakil confirmed that media wouldn’t be barred, but when they reached the hotel to cover the conference, they were told to leave, terming the conference as internal briefing.

The sources present on the occasion confirmed to The Nation that some blue-eyed persons were also present during the briefing and they were given special task of not let the sports journalists enter the meeting room. It makes no sense of conducting conferences and kept the entire matter secret, which means that PCB is cooking something and they doesn’t want to share things with media and masses.  A huge amount of national kitty was wasted on TA/DAs and lucrative lunch and on other perks and privileges just to hide actual things. Firstly Shahryar and Sethi never bothered to share things with the federal capital sports journalists and despite repeated requests and promises made by Shakil Shaikh of holding an exclusive meeting with PCB chairman and Sethi, the promises were never materialized.

“If one agrees with the PCB theory, it was internal briefing and media was not invited then they should at least inform why Sarfraz Nawaz was ignored. If Saqlain Mushtaq type former players were in the meeting, then why a national hero was given such rough treatment,” the sources questioned and demanded the PCB patron to spare some time to check sorry state of affairs of the PCB and a few certain individuals, who are out to destroy national image and had just one agenda to reap maximum personal benefits and pass on to their near  and dear ones. It is the need of the hour that the PCB chairman must seek explanation from the persons, who arranged the conference and strict action must be taken against the responsible persons, who deliberately ignored Sarfraz and sports journalists of twin cities.