Lahore: Former International Cricket Council (ICC) President Ehsan Mani has accused “archrival” India of trying to exclude Pakistan from every game.
"India is an archrival of Pakistan which wants to exclude Pakistan from every game, especially in cricket, and to conquer major games of the world by investing money in them," Mani said.
He also alleged that Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Shashank Manohar did not want Pakistani players to take part in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and that he is in no mood to give chance to Pakistan in the IPL in future.
Mani also blasted Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials, saying that till they were part of the board, no betterment could be seen there."No team is ready to visit Pakistan, and this situation will continue till the internal situation of Pakistan will not get better," he said in reply to a question.
Mani said that he had personally requested the ICC to bring cricket back to Pakistan in order to revive the game in the country, and asked for ICC`s assistance as well, but this matter took a backseat due to no response from the PCB, and ultimately it was totally thrown into dustbin.Pakistan cricket will continue to decline until political interference is eliminated from the game, he added.
The board`s wrong decisions have already destroyed domestic and club level cricket in Pakistan, Mani said, adding that positive steps must be taken in time to save cricket in the country.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, June 25, 2011, 15:48