ISLAMABAD     -      The members of Senate Standing Committee on Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) has lashed out at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and held the board responsible for the disgraceful whitewash from under-strength Sri Lankan team in the recently concluded three-match T20 series in Lahore.

The meeting of the committee was held under the chair of Senator Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasir here at Parliament House Committee Room on Wednesday. The meeting started with prayers for the departed soul of Senator Azam Khan Swati’s brother.

PCB Director Domestic Cricket Haroon Rasheed gave briefing about the domestic cricket structure and informed that the PCB had tried to introduce changes in domestic structure almost 20 months ago. Now six associations have been formed, as it is their responsibility to promote cricket and involve youth. The PCB will formulate a nine-member cricket committee, which will keep eyes on the new domestic structure.

The committee members raised lots of questions regarding the national teams’ poor performance against Sri Lankan team. Senator Faisal Javed termed the defeat completely unacceptable and shameful. He questioned Haroon that why we lost the T20 series at home ground and why one man was appointed as selector and coach of the national team? He expressed that he has lot of questions regarding the PCB. Pakistan was number one in the ICC T20 rankings, then why all of a sudden almost all the players were changed? Haroon informed that Shoaib Malik’s performances in international cricket are not satisfactory.

Senator Mushahid Ullah informed the committee that PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani does not appear before the committee. He requested the chair to make sure PCB Chairman’s presence in every standing committee meeting. He also informed the committee that two dubious players were included in the national team. He wants to know why and on what grounds Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad were part of the national team in the T20s? He was of the view that Misbah-ul-Haq was pressurised to include those players in the squad.

The committee, while expressing serious reservations on the national team’s performances, ordered Mani to ensure his presence in the next meeting. Senator Mushahidullah, while raising questions over dubious players’ inclusion in the squad, praised Misbah and termed his appointment as justified. Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said: “We are watching Pakistan cricket teams’ performances since long and it seems that the team is not giving consistent results.” Faisal Javed asked Haroon that who is supporting departmental cricket now? Haroon replied: “Departments’ role in departmental cricket was highly limited.”

IPC Minister Dr Fahmida Mirza said: “There are confusions in 18th Amendment, which requires clarity. All officials must fulfill their responsibilities towards organisations. It is need of the hour to make IPC Ministry strong and more powerful.”

All the members of the committee appreciated IPC Minister Dr Fahmida Mirza for her efforts to strengthen the IPC Ministry.