Pakistan determined to oppose Big Three takeover
KARACHI Mon Jan 20, 2014 6:47pm GMT
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Zaka Ashraf (2nd L) speaks during a news conference with team players Misbah ul Haq (3rd L) and Mohammad Hafeez (L) after their arrival from India at Allama Iqbal International airport in Lahore January 7, 2013. REUTERS/Mohsin Raza
(Reuters) - The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will oppose any structural overhaul of world cricket's administration that will effectively hand power over to India, England and Australia, it said on Monday.
A draft proposal, to be discussed at the International Cricket Council's (ICC) executive board meeting in Dubai on January 28-29, recommends handing over more control to the Australian, English and Indian boards in the boardroom and on the field.
The proposal would also give the so-called 'Big Three' a bigger share of the ICC's revenue pot.
"Chairman Zaka Ashraf has been told Pakistan should not support any such changes as it would divide the cricket world and effectively give all veto powers to India, Australia and England," a member of the PCB's governing board who declined to be named told Reuters.
"The draft proposal was discussed in detail at the last governing board meeting in Lahore on Saturday and a lot of apprehension was expressed over the direction world cricket is taking."
The ICC plans have recommendations including scrapping the world test championship in 2017, reviving the now defunct Champions Trophy and having promotion and relegation in a new two-tier test system.
"Our legal experts are studying it and we will prepare our stance accordingly," said a PCB official.
(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
