Najam Sethi, the former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), shared insights from a recent emergency PCB meeting.
In an interview with Samaa TV, he stated that his intention was to help prevent a crisis.
Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s Interior Minister and PCB Chairman, threatened to pull Pakistan out of the Asia Cup, which Sethi described as a potential “existential crisis” for the PCB.
Also present at the meeting was former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja.
“Had his plan succeeded, Pakistan would have faced severe repercussions. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) could have sanctioned us, the International Cricket Council (ICC) could have penalized us, foreign players might have boycotted the PSL, and we risked losing $15 million in ACC broadcasting rights,” Sethi elaborated.
Stay informed with the latest updates. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
He emphasized that his goal was the survival of the PCB and its cricketers.
The meeting took place shortly before Pakistan’s Group A match against UAE on September 17. On that day, Pakistan arrived late at Dubai International Stadium, delaying their match by an hour, having left their hotel just over an hour before the toss. Although the team skipped the pre-match press conference, they completed their practice as planned.
Tensions heightened after India’s players left the field without shaking hands following their Asia Cup Group A encounter with Pakistan, prompting criticism from the PCB. In response, Pakistan boycotted the post-match presentation ceremony.
According to the PCB, Andy Pycroft apologized to the Pakistan team’s manager and captain, citing a communication error. The ICC has expressed its readiness to investigate any possible Code of Conduct breaches during the match.
The ICC reportedly communicated concerns to the PCB about several violations during the September 17 match against the UAE, including unauthorized video recordings inside the stadium that were shared on PCB’s social media. These actions have provoked the ICC, which is likely to take disciplinary measures against the PCB. The ICC was not informed about PCB’s intentions for the footage use.
