PCB, ICC may decide PTT visit in London this week

KARACHI: The details of a proposed International Cricket Council’s (ICC) task force visit to Pakistan are expected to be hammered out on the sidelines of the 2000th Test that will feature hosts England and India at Lord’s later this week.
Well-placed sources told ‘The News’ on Sunday that Ijaz Butt, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman is likely to meet with ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat and Giles Clarke, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) boss, who heads ICC’s Pakistan Task Team (PTT) in London later this week.
“All three of them will be a part of ICC’s celebrations being planned in connection with the 2000th Test,” said a source. “Though nothing has been finalised yet, it is believed that Butt, Lorgat and Clarke will meet in London to discuss the details of a proposed PTT visit to Pakistan. There are strong chances that the trip will be finalised sometime this week.”
PCB and ICC are at loggerheads following a comprehensive report filed by PTT that included 63 recommendations to lift cricket in Pakistan. Pakistan rejected most of those recommendations and declared that the PTT report was merely a “scholarly exercise” and asked for more “Pakistan specific” recommendations.
Pakistan also questioned the credibility of the report by stating that PTT members did not even bother to visit the country before finalising their report that calls for sweeping changes in the way the sport is run in this country.
PTT, which was formed to revive international tours of Pakistan and to help boost the game in the country which has been rocked by last year’s spot-fixing scandal, is headed by Clarke and include cricket greats like Mike Brearley and Greg Chappell and former Pakistan Test opener Ramiz Raja.
Following PCB’s strong criticism, reports suggested that Clarke and company were ready to tour Pakistan. 
“The main item on the agenda of any PTT visit to Pakistan will have to be a meeting with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari,” said a source. “So whether or when such a trip can take place will depend on a green signal from the President House,” he added.
PTT members want to meet Zardari, because he yields enormous influence as PCB’s chief patron. In fact the president’s role in Pakistan’s cricket affairs is the biggest bone of contention between the PCB and ICC.
In one of its major recommendations PTT suggested in its report that the country’s cricket chief shouldn’t be appointed by the President. PCB reacted sharply toe the recommendation by saying, “The circumstances in Pakistan are unique and cricket administration requires and deserves government support. Without government support international cricket may not return to the country.”
“PTT members will have to meet the President to discuss what is the biggest issue for them — political interference in Pakistan’s cricketing matters,” said a source.
ICC, however, is well aware of the fact that such a meeting can only be lined up by PCB. “PCB is a member board of the ICC and it’s expected of them that they would line up a meeting between the President and PTT members,” said a source.
The PTT, if its Pakistan visit does take place, would also meet with senior officials of the country’s Law Ministry. 
“The PTT believes that PCB should make changes in its constitution which is why it would want to meet Law Ministry officials and take them into confidence.”

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