"I implore ICC to step in. Bangladesh has no excuse to not come to Pakistan" : Azhar Ali

[ahsan17]

ICC will do nothing.

They will sit back and let the Boards thrash it out.

Usual tactics from a weak organisation.

I have been saying before and I'll say it again. ICC has been incredibly weak in helping cricket bring to Pakistan. They've done less than bare minimum. Other sporting bodies have been far more helpful to other countries in similar situations.

They don't have to force other countries to visit to Pakistan, but they can strongly push them to visit Pakistan, to the point where the other boards feel pressure. But, they have basically sat back and done very little. Most things get done not by forcing one party or the other but by building pressure. If ICC had done its job properly, we probably would've returned to Pakistan a long time ago.


And before some genius Einstein's does a gotcha "maybe PCB could've done their job and not have the SL team attacked", yes, they should have. It does not absolve ICC their job in helping cricket come back.

 

[Shafi]

Pakistan should have settled this diplomatically.

Let's be brutally honest.

If Bangladesh were a top tier test team like Australia and England, Pakistan would be licking their boots, using back door diplomacy and repeated visits by team officials to the country to make sure somehow they convince them to tour Pakistan.

Since Bangladeshi value in Pakistan's eyes is a below average cricket team, they are trying to muscle their way into forcing Bangladesh to play in Pakistan.

This is stupid, idiotic and downright dismal move.

Just because you are better in something doesn't mean, you get to order people around.

I would like to see how Pakistan take the same approach against England, Australia and other teams. If Pakistan take the same "no nonsense" approach against every team, I'll believe it.

By your logic a middle class officer would have to be submissive to entry level officer same as the boss? Very good logic

 

[Junaids]

By your logic a middle class officer would have to be submissive to entry level officer same as the boss? Very good logic

In my hospital I’m the boss, and I treat everyone with respect and courtesy.

My staff feel supported and respected and my authority is never an issue.

I still think Bangladesh will play the Tests in Pakistan but I think the borderline abusive approach of the Pakistanis has made that much harder to set up.

 

[Shafi]

In my hospital I’m the boss, and I treat everyone with respect and courtesy.

My staff feel supported and respected and my authority is never an issue.

I still think Bangladesh will play the Tests in Pakistan but I think the borderline abusive approach of the Pakistanis has made that much harder to set up.

Respect is one thing but you have to command your junior to do right thing if they are not working properly.

 

[Babbar]

Respect is one thing but you have to command your junior to do right thing if they are not working properly.

Who are you alluding to as Junior here?

 

[Green Patriot]

Sri Lankan bus attack was not your everyday terrorist attack in Pakistan, it was high profile and intentionally done for media attention. The attack on men's team would have much more impact in Bangladesh as the players are heroic figures (especially the likes of Shakib and Mortaza)

The point is that the women's team is also under their board. If they currently sent one and their management was happy with the overall conditions of the country, i see no reason they should have a problem now.
To assess the conditions that is all they can do. Even if they send their players for t20s they can not predict a pre decided attack during the test series. All they can do is check the overall conditions which they already did and were presumably satisfied with, a while ago.

 

[topspin]

I'm no fan of the BCB but the recent comments made by Misbah (and now Azhar Ali) have made the situation worse.

This is why giving Misbah so much power in the first place was a mistake. His arrogance has been displayed by his ability to run his mouth faster than his brain.

 

[Shafi]

Who are you alluding to as Junior here?

Senior officers are top 8 test teams, BD junior officer, Ireland/Afghanistan entry level officers

 

[Saj]

I have been saying before and I'll say it again. ICC has been incredibly weak in helping cricket bring to Pakistan. They've done less than bare minimum. Other sporting bodies have been far more helpful to other countries in similar situations.

They don't have to force other countries to visit to Pakistan, but they can strongly push them to visit Pakistan, to the point where the other boards feel pressure. But, they have basically sat back and done very little. Most things get done not by forcing one party or the other but by building pressure. If ICC had done its job properly, we probably would've returned to Pakistan a long time ago.


And before some genius Einstein's does a gotcha "maybe PCB could've done their job and not have the SL team attacked", yes, they should have. It does not absolve ICC their job in helping cricket come back.

It's been mainly cosmetic stuff from the ICC to show on the face of it that they are helping and supporting.

 

[Sidilicious]

Would Australia and England keep waffling about the decision one month before a tour? Would they keep putting out random statements in the media every other day without any official communication?

If Bangladesh weren't going to tour, they should have made it clear so that both sides can move towards the next stage of this process.

Until yesterday, the possibility of T20Is first (to assess the situation) and then Tests later wasn't even discussed. They just kept saying in the media that they will only play Tests at a neutral venue.

BCB did agree to tour for T20I. It should have been up to PCB to negotiate the possibility of tests after T20Is. Again, PCB is the one that is impacted most by this situation, not BCB.

BCB definitely should not have created a fuss for touring. But due to PCB's response, the discussion has moved from BCB to PCB and Pakistani team making remarks. The discussion has moved from BCB being in the wrong to PCB's lack of diplomacy and further questions of security in Pakistan (only for SENA countries).

 

[cricketjoshila]

India started first by bringing politics in cricket now others copying them. ICC is a super failure.

Can you tell me how India brought politics into cricket first?

 

[cricketjoshila]

Senior officers are top 8 test teams, BD junior officer, Ireland/Afghanistan entry level officers

If we consider that such a hierarchy exists, do you think Pakistan SL WI have the same status as Eng Aus and India? If yes how?

 

[Sidilicious]

Can you tell me how India brought politics into cricket first?

lol. I guess you are the best person to remind them of Asia Cup 1992.
[MENTION=136411]Shafi[/MENTION] kindly check who brought politics into cricket first, when PCB were stronger than BCCI. Now that we are paying back with interest you are complaining.

 

[MenInG]

ICC toothless - all they do is send match referees but by and large keep their distance.

 

[CanadianG00se]

India started first by bringing politics in cricket now others copying them. ICC is a super failure.

Corrections, PCB did that in early 90s, now they are the one at the receiving end.

 

[Junaids]

ICC toothless - all they do is send match referees but by and large keep their distance.

With respect, I’m not quite sure what you and [MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] expect.

Have you read the 2012 Woolf Report, which the ICC commissioned in order to move to world class governance?

It concluded that the ICC functions as a private club for the Test nations, with very little effort to deliver independent or neutral governance, or to promote fairness or even conflict resolution.

It set out multiple steps to ensure independent governance in which the board members would be prohibited from acting in their national interest.

And the BCCI vetoed it, with the unofficial support of Australia and England.

The ICC is not an international sporting federation. It is a private cartel for the Big Three, in which everything from funding to scheduling to hosting rights is administered to suit their whims.

In this case, the ICC is not fit for purpose in resolving this.

Because Australia and England don’t want to set a precedent for having to tour Pakistan, and India don’t care so long as they avoid playing Pakistan.

The ICC makes FIFA look like a Temple of Good Governance!

 

[Babbar]

Senior officers are top 8 test teams, BD junior officer, Ireland/Afghanistan entry level officers

That’s very convenient. You added 8 senior officers just to somehow get Pakistan in. If Pakistan was ranked 4th, you would have said top 4 are senior officers. Why leave BD out?

Just shows that you want big boards to treat Pakistan with respect but are are highly condescending towards smaller boards even if BD board is probably bigger and richer than PCB.

 

[Ronaldo7]

That’s very convenient. You added 8 senior officers just to somehow get Pakistan in. If Pakistan was ranked 4th, you would have said top 4 are senior officers. Why leave BD out?

Just shows that you want big boards to treat Pakistan with respect but are are highly condescending towards smaller boards even if BD board is probably bigger and richer than PCB.

Maybe because Bangladesh's not at the same level as Pakistan..
Not that hard to understand is it?

 

[Junaids]

All this “senior officers directing junior officers” nonsense is ludicrous - it is what the actual problem is.

The World Test Championship is a league of nine teams. It’s not a hierarchy in which you get to berate and bully the people beneath you. Especially when you are a country that most foreigners view as a Failed State.

One week ago Pakistan was rock bottom. Today they are third.

Many of the boards are run by scoundrels and incompetents - ask Sadaf Hussain!

But when you run into trouble with such people, if you try to pull rank and bully the other side you won’t get what you want.

 

[light]

Maybe because Bangladesh's not at the same level as Pakistan..
Not that hard to understand is it?

I mean if that's the mentality you want to go with, why throw a tantrum when big 3 shows the same attitude towards Pakistan? You gotta Give and take, not just give and no take. Can't have it both ways.
By your logic, you just stated that it's alright for other higher ranked boards to bully pakistan and pakistan does not deserve respect from them. Sad way to look at things, ain't it?

 

[Usman Chadda]

Bangladesh really want to play in the UAE don't they?

With that pathetic Test team of theirs, they are better off playing LOI cricket only anyway. Saves them the embarrassment.

On a serious note, PCB does need to tone down the bullish tone and resolve this matter through constructive dialogue. This back and forth in the media is not looking good on either side.

 

[Sidilicious]

Senior officers are top 8 test teams, BD junior officer, Ireland/Afghanistan entry level officers

No way are the big 3 in the same status as Pakistan and WI.

Only the big 3 are the senior officers.

 

[Babbar]

No way are the big 3 in the same status as Pakistan and WI.

Only the big 3 are the senior officers.

PCB is not going to progress as long as they have such high sense of entitlement. They demand respect from India, ECB but treat Afg, BD like sh!t. ECB, CA, BCCI, BCB are quiet, if not perfectly, competent. Thank you. They have been able to maintain their competitiveness, financial strength and popularity, despite Football, Tennis, Athletics etc taking most of the attention. Despite last test win against a weakened minnow at home, no one in Pak is interested in Tests anymore - Not PCB, not Players (Amir?) not spectators. It’s probably better if Pak focuses on ODI, T20, T10 ‘slam bang thank you Afridi’ games for the time being

PCB has been highly incompetent, arrogant and directionless. Despite controlling game in a country with 220+ million population who literally have no other sports worth mentioning, PCB got head2Head with BCCI and got smacked- financially and quality wise. PCB had the gall to sue BCCI on fake trumped up cases ( supported by many here) that got thrown out with penalty. And this made everyone else too very wary of PCB drama. Who will invite or visit Pakistan except in a duress (points lost for not inviting or visiting as some PPers claim here)

Now PCB can blame BCCI for all ills and wallow in misery or come up to air rebuild itself. Teams will visit Pakistan on their own once they see stability and money.

 

[Sidilicious]

PCB is not going to progress as long as they have such high sense of entitlement. They demand respect from India, ECB but treat Afg, BD like sh!t. ECB, CA, BCCI, BCB are quiet, if not perfectly, competent. Thank you. They have been able to maintain their competitiveness, financial strength and popularity, despite Football, Tennis, Athletics etc taking most of the attention. Despite last test win against a weakened minnow at home, no one in Pak is interested in Tests anymore - Not PCB, not Players (Amir?) not spectators. It’s probably better if Pak focuses on ODI, T20, T10 ‘slam bang thank you Afridi’ games for the time being

PCB has been highly incompetent, arrogant and directionless. Despite controlling game in a country with 220+ million population who literally have no other sports worth mentioning, PCB got head2Head with BCCI and got smacked- financially and quality wise. PCB had the gall to sue BCCI on fake trumped up cases ( supported by many here) that got thrown out with penalty. And this made everyone else too very wary of PCB drama. Who will invite or visit Pakistan except in a duress (points lost for not inviting or visiting as some PPers claim here)

Now PCB can blame BCCI for all ills and wallow in misery or come up to air rebuild itself. Teams will visit Pakistan on their own once they see stability and money.

You've accurately summarised the issue with PCB. I never understand their arrogance, given that BCB are financially on par, if not better than PCB, and currently, Bangladesh team are not far behind Pakistan in terms of cricketing level. To add BCB is way more professional than PCB. With Bangladesh's economy growing at a faster rate, I am confident that BCB will financially become closer to the big 3 than PCB would, in the next decade or so.

Had they handled this matter with a touch of diplomacy, Bangladesh would have definitely toured for tests, and this would have made the world confident. PCB has more to lose here than BCB.

PCB and Pakistani cricketers would never make the same demands or use the same language with SENA as they are using against Bangladesh. And ICC will NOT force to Bangladesh travel or dock their points, if they can't do this with SENA.

When it comes to financial clout, the ICC would treat the Big 3 preferentially. But, when it comes to cricketing rules and regulations they will treat each team equally, even India.

 

[Abdullah719]

BCB did agree to tour for T20I. It should have been up to PCB to negotiate the possibility of tests after T20Is. Again, PCB is the one that is impacted most by this situation, not BCB.

BCB definitely should not have created a fuss for touring. But due to PCB's response, the discussion has moved from BCB to PCB and Pakistani team making remarks. The discussion has moved from BCB being in the wrong to PCB's lack of diplomacy and further questions of security in Pakistan (only for SENA countries).

BCB agreed to tour for T20Is but absolutely refused to play Tests in Pakistan until 2 days ago when they seemed to suggest they might be open to Tests later. And yesterday the BCB CEO did another interview where he said they will only play Tests at a neutral venue.

Unlike the SL situation where the tour was already scheduled across two legs, BCB (if they opt for Tests later) are disrupting the schedule. PSL is scheduled from mid-Feb to mid-March after which PCB are hoping to host SA for 3 T20Is towards the end of March. Pakistan has only ever hosted 4 Test matches in April. They were also hoping to host Ireland at some point so where are they going to fit it all in?