LAHORE - Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt has termed Indian, English and Australian cricket boards as ‘sons of pigs’.
Talking to the reporters on Tuesday after meeting with PCB management committee (MC) chairman Najam Sethi, Butt said that Pakistan should have safeguarded its interests in the current situation.
To a query regarding the Big-3, Butt replied: “Should I reply in Punjabi or in English as my Urdu is not so good, if you ask me about Big-3 then I would say these three are sons of pigs.” He advised the journalists to give good suggestions to Sethi rather than criticising him.
To another query, Butt said during his tenure as the PCB chairman, he put his foot down to end players’ power and he was confident that Sethi would take measures to follow his suit. He said a lot of criticism was made during his stint with the PCB but he took decisions in the larger interest of cricket, setting aside persistent criticism from various quarters.  Butt said it was not necessary to be a former cricketer to run the PCB in the role of a chairman. "In my opinion what is important is to be a chairman of the PCB is to be a good expert and decision maker as the various boards of the cricket are being run by such professionals."
Speaking on the occasion, Sethi said that PCB would take a decision on Big-3 keeping in view the interest of Pakistan and its cricket. “Big-3 will have to listen to our point of view if they are looking for our vote at the International Cricket Council (ICC).”
He added that he had a productive meeting with Ijaz Butt who had given him useful suggestions on Big-3 besides assuring his all-out support to safeguard the interest of the PCB at the forum of the ICC.
"Ijaz Butt enjoys cordial and close relations with officials of various cricket boards functioning around the globe and the PCB in consultation with him has formed a strategy on the issue of Big-3," said the PCB chairman who refused to reveal any aspect of the strategy.
He said it was his desire that former chairman Zaka Asrhaf should also give his input on Big-3 as he had represented the country at the time of voting on Big-3. "After Sri Lanka lent support to Big-3, the strength of the countries who are backing Big-3 has risen to nine and in the present scenario, Pakistan is the only country which has its own stance of not supporting Big-3," he stated. "All the nine countries have made important decisions regarding bilateral series and on broadcasting rights and if Big-3 needs Pakistan’s support it must listen to our point of view," he asserted.
To a query, he expressed the optimism that Pakistan cricket team would put up a good performance in the Asia Cup to win the title to add to the happiness of the nation. "If our team wins, it will elevate the status and respect of the PCB so win is very imperative at this stage," Sethi concluded.