Lahore: The PCB has sorted out its issue with Cricket Australia after CA chief executive James Sutherland had blamed Pakistan for not doing enough to curb the menace of corruption in the game.
A PCB official confirmed that the matter was resolved after a discussion between the chief operating officer (COO) of the board, Subhan Ahmed and Sutherland.
The PCB directly approached CA after the ICC had turned down its request to take up the issue with its Australian counterpart.
The ICC advised the PCB to contact CA directly regarding Sutherland`s statement as it was a matter between the two boards and did not concern the game`s governing body.
"Subhan Ahmed had a long detailed discussion with Sutherland on the given statement and conveyed Pakistan`s reservation on the issue," a board official said."Sutherland made it clear that his comments on the Qayyum inquiry were not meant to put PCB in a difficult position. He explained that it was in response to a question during an interview and not intended to criticise anyone. The PCB enjoys cordial relations with CA so we have decided not to pursue the matter any further," the official said.
Pakistan was upset after Sutherland in an interview to the `Age` newspaper said that last year`s spot-fixing scandal, involving three Pakistan players -- Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir -- could have been avoided if the PCB had acted properly on the recommendations of Justice Malik Qayyum Commission report in 2000.
The PCB wrote to the ICC insisting that Sutherland had disregarded the role played by the PCB in fighting corruption in cricket.No Australian team has toured Pakistan since 1998 because of security reasons and twice Pakistan has been forced to host its home series against the Australians at neutral venues in 2002 and 2008/09.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, May 04, 2011, 18:57