LAHORE - Sialkot Regional Cricket Association (SRCA) president and PCB’s Governing Board member Nauman Butt has claimed that India, as it did in the past, was hell bent on stopping Sri Lankan team from visiting Pakistan but PCB Chairman Sunil Sethi successfully foiled its nefarious designs.
Sethi finally succeeded in convincing and brining the Sri Lanka team to the country, said Nauman Butt during a Waqt TV programme ‘Game Beat’. He added: “India has great influence on Sri Lanka and Bangladesh cricket and the neighbouring and it always remained busy creating problems for Pakistani cricket. Our arch-rivals never want to see our stadiums hosting the international teams that’s why they are still trying to deprive us of international cricket and want to isolate us from international community.”
He said, “The Governing Board member said that the recent tours of World XI and Sri Lankan team hurt our neighbour a lot. The entire credit of making these two international events happening in Pakistan goes to PCB chairman Najam Sethi, who despite all the odds, successfully hosted both the teams, who brought with them pleasant memories and positive image of the country.”
He maintained, “Our armed forces also get due credit as they provided foolproof security for the guests and ensured they might have played in a very peaceful and cordial atmosphere. Both the federal and the provincial government also played their role very effectively and made both the tours possible through their all-out support to the PCB. In fact, it was collective effort which helped Pakistan revive international cricket in a befitting manner.”
Nauman also thanked the ICC, World XI players and officials while he also appreciated decision of Sri Lankan Cricket and president for sending the team to Pakistan, while the entire Sri Lankan team also deserved due credit for which the entire nation is grateful to them.
He also revealed that Bangladesh has also agreed to visit Pakistan and soon their security team would come here and see the security situation and after that it would clear the team for touring Pakistan to play cricket here.
Denying the statement of a senior journalist that the PCB governing board is a ‘rubber-stamp board’, the SRCA chief said there is no ‘one-man show’ in the cricket board, which is a democratic body, which takes decisions after consulting the governing board. “The governing board is independent and influential as it allowed every member to express his thoughts and suggestions. A great number of suggestions are presented during the governing board meeting, and those, which are rejected by the members, are never considered.”
