Local cricket fraternity blame PCB for failure

LAHORE - The Pakistan Cricket Board has came under blazing fire from different quarters for its failure to keep the Champions Trophy at home. It also came under fire after the ICC decided to once again reverse the result of the infamous Oval Test at a meeting in Perth where PCB chairman Ijaz Butt represented Pakistan. Senator Enver Baig, a member of Senate's sports committee, lambasted the PCB management, saying that it was incapable of safeguarding the interests of Pakistan cricket. "The ICC decision to take away the Champions Trophy is extremely bad news for our people. I will blame the PCB as much as I will blame the ICC for depriving our people the right to host the event," Baig said. Baig, a member of the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP), stressed that Ijaz Butt has proved to be a failure as PCB chief. Sports Minister Pir Aftab Shah Jilani said that he would carry out a probe into The Oval Test issue, and added that the news of Champions Trophy being taken away from Pakistan was highly disappointing. "We held the Asia Cup last year in a very successful manner and the recent ODI series against Sri Lanka also went incident-free," he pointed out while talking to reporters. "We don't think there was any reason to move the tournament out of Pakistan," he added.

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