LAHORE - Former chairman provincial committee regional cricket association Multan Prof Mohammad Sadiq has made it clear to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that the new model constitution for cricket clubs, which came into force recently, cannot be legally applicable due to a number of reasons and grounds.
In a detailed letter to PCB General Manager Junaid Zia, Prof Sadiq said that the clauses and view-points needed to be struck down from the constitution. He also sent a copy of the letter to PCB chief patron Prime Minister Imran Khan and PCB chairman Ehsan Mani. He said that the members of the club are first of all to constitute a club through a process and exercise by mutual understanding amongst the members according to its by-laws.
Only the PCB has powers to give a club affiliation according to its own rules and regulations and in order to grant full membership and associate membership (as per rating exercise through scrutiny). Now, under the new constitution, the process of restructuring cricket and clubs by its new rules & regulations, these are tantamount to a catastrophe for cricket and clubs and making it clear that these rules & regulations are not applicable to the cricket clubs.
He further said that the former members of current PCB Board of Governors (BoG) have no constitutional and legal status as it approves the new model constitution for club, District and Provincial Cricket Associations as the current BoG consisting of the former members, who have no constitutional status on the basis of PCB’s Election Commission. Justice (R) Afzal Haidar has already declared their election and proceedings of decision regarding to be President/Member of a Regional Cricket Association under PCB constitution null and void in December 2018, he added. In addition, the fixed term of these officials has also expired on August 8, 2020, so how the new constitution was legally approved.
Besides, not only the PCB Election Commissioner has set aside their elections and decisions in December 2018 but also the PCB, itself, has been abolished all the Districts/Regional Cricket Associations and Departments (having playing cricket) w.e.f 19-08-2019 on the basis of enforcement of new PCB constitution 2019 by a notification of Ministry of Inter Provincial Co-Ordination of Pakistan on dated 19-08-2019. He said all the decisions taken by Ex-BoG of PCB after the enforcement of new Constitution 2019 on dated 19-08-2019 stand illegal and without the approval of the authority (Board).
The ex-Multan cricket chief said this model constitution for clubs has neither been presented in any conference or seminar of stakeholders/representatives of cricket associations nor they have been consulted, rather it has been forcefully enforced. He added neither the PCB nor the PSB or provincial sports boards provide any grant or financial aid to the cricket clubs rather club authorities and members manage all the financial and administrative matters on basis of self-help and according to rules laid by them.
Prof Sadiq said the new constitution and its provisions and articles are a clear cut violation of fundamental rights of cricket clubs. “The PCB has declared mandatory for every cricket club to maintain three turf pitches and one cement pitch and for that purpose, it is also mandatory to maintain necessary equipment. It is absolutely impossible for clubs to fulfill such conditions as they neither have any source of income at all nor the PCB, PSB or provincial sports boards provide them any financial assistance.”
