LAHORE - Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Najam Sethi Monday said it was his responsibility to safeguard the interests of cricket and cricketers.

He said he respected all the cricketers and asked the ex-players to shun their differences with the board and come forward for the betterment of the game. Sethi said he wanted to take the former cricketers on board in the best possible fashion and the Board’s doors were open to all.

“I am at the service of all those who want to work for the betterment of the game and want to transfer their expertise to the youth. We will hire their services at a suitable time and venue.”

He expressed his desire to sort out the differences with the players through dialogue rather than going to courts and the money should be spent for the welfare of the cricketers instead of wasting money on legal proceedings.

He said if the board could spend money on hiring the services of the foreigners then it could do the same too to its own people.

But Sethi made it clear that the former players should also have to show the intent and do the job as the board cannot pay to some former cricketer equivalent to a coach or selector just for his namesake while he sat idle at his home.

He said that it was quite an injustice that if the board did not fulfill the wishes of some individual or persons with specific mindset, they started hurling allegations at the board.

Sethi said the PCB would take steps to safeguard the interests of the national cricket at every level. The PCB chief said his doors were open for every former player who wanted to take up responsibility practically in the field.

Sethi said the board also scrutinised the performances of former coaches and the every individual who gave performance that was evident from his results.

“I invite everyone to put aside all the differences and come forward to work together for a game that is passion of the Pakistani nation.”

Sethi said the board was fighting for the survival of the game in the country as Pakistan needed more international cricket at its home grounds.

“We were successful in revival of international cricket in Pakistan and hopefully the next year too we will be more successful in this objective.”

Sethi said he was performing his duty with just one aim and that is to serve for the Pakistan cricket and he has no personal goals or ambitions being at the helm of the affairs of the PCB.

He said he wanted run this most popular sports of the country in a professional manner and vowed to provide equal opportunities to the any talented player in any nook or corner of the country. The PCB said he wanted to strengthen the basic structure of the game and present the Pakistani talent to the world. Sethi said the success of Pakistan Super League was the success of the people of the country.

He said everyone had doubted if we could hold the PSL or could bring the international cricket to Pakistan but we achieved both these targets and it would help the Pakistan in a great way.

He said his aim and mission is only that the sons and daughters of our country get better chances to showcase their talent.

He even went on to say that he was writing new history of Pakistan cricket and securing its future.

“We were isolated in the cricketing world and now we are re-connecting to them again. The leg-pullers should refrain from their antics and instead should join us as we want to develop a strong and transparent system. I appreciate those who identify our mistakes. Today the players like Shadab Khan, Babar Azam, Yasir Shah, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail and others are creating waves at international level and getting due recognition. I think it is our achievement to bring forward such a hidden talent.”