PCB`s stance on new ICC reforms draw mixed reactions from Pak legends

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board`s (PCB) stance on the `Big Three` reforms approved by the ICC drew mixed reactions from the country`s cricket legends.

Only Pakistan and Sri Lanka abstained from voting during the ICC board meeting at Singapore, with South Africa doing a rapid turnaround at the last minute and abandoning their opposition to the controversial reforms giving greater power to India, Australia and England. According to the Express Tribune, former captain Rashid Latif supported Pakistan`s stance and believes that it is justified as financial distribution should be equal for all Test-playing nations and urged the PCB to draw the ICC into a legal battle. In the key executive decisions, it was decided that the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) President N Srinivasan would become the new ICC chairman and Cricket Australia (CA) Chairman Wally Edwards would head a newly-formed executive committee, which will report to the ICC board. The report mentioned that England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Chairman Giles Clarke would continue to be the head of the Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee, and Latif feared that the three chiefs would become the new ICC `dons` as they would have complete charge of the international body in a short while. Latif also said that Pakistan and Sri Lanka may be targeted by the `Big Three` and will be tried to be kept from winning any events or play in their finals through any kind of tampering, ranging from poor umpiring to under prepared pitches. However, another former captain Ramiz Raja stated that Pakistan`s decision was not based on logic and was rather enticed by emotions, adding that whenever India is involved, Pakistan lose their pragmatism and refuses to seek assurances from the high profile India.