Islamabad: Najam Sethi, who is heading a panel governing the Pakistan Cricket Board’s affairs till a chairman is elected, said on Thursday that the government’s “advice has to be taken” in cricket-related matters concerning India.

Talking to the media in Lahore, he answered a reporter’s question that it was “too early” for him to comment about “strategic issues” regarding India, sporting ties for which were strained further since the neighbour refused to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023.

Sethi said that the sports board “gets guidance” from the government on the final decisions on such matters.

He added that the matter will be discussed in committee meetings and expressed his lack of in-depth knowledge regarding the decisions taken before his appointment and the reasons behind them.

India has also recently turned down the visas of the Pakistan blind cricket team for the ongoing T20 World Cup on “political grounds”.

Sethi asserted that the board’s “primary aim” would be to “correct the domestic cricket structure” as he felt that new cricketers were only being sourced from the Pakistan Super League tournament.

He also reiterated that the PCB’s constitution of 2014 would be reinstated and that a “stadium is being prepared in Peshawar”, promising that matches would soon take place in the city.

In response to another question, the journalist opined that at the time of his resignation in 2018, he had thought that “Imran Khan’s vision would bring betterment [to Pakistan cricket]” but expressed disappointment.

Sethi said that the PCB would continue to update the media and the public about the decisions that it would make.

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 23 2022

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