SPORTS WORLD: PCB meet in Bhurban: Draft constitution needs associations' input

While the fate of much-awaited constitution of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hangs in balance, ad hocism in the PCB, it seems, will never come to an end.
One gets such indication from the Bhurban meet, arranged by the PCB ad hoc administration, which for the first time in about eight years, invited the heads of regional associations, representatives of the eight departments, a number of former Test cricketers to discuss the country's cricket affairs with the Board officials.
Former captain Imran Khan must be extremely happy over the fact that the PCB has finally agreed to his plans of structural changes in the First Class cricket. These changes will be effective from 2007-08 season.
Imran, who played for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in the early eighties, has been consistently demanding elimination of departments' role in the domestic cricket, but the PCB Ad hoc Committee, headed by Dr Nasim Ashraf, did not fully agree to his ideas and introduced a new system which also takes into account, however partly, his views and suggestions on the development and promotion of domestic cricket.
Now the departmental teams, grouped together with regional teams, will be participating in a single First Class championship -- Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
OVERSEAS PLAYERS: This proposal, along with a host of others such as participation of overseas players, most likely from Sri Lanka and India, in the country as professionals, was discussed by the PCB Ad hoc Committee officials with the associations and departmental representatives, with a view to improve the game's standard at domestic level. However, some of these proposals are expected to be finalised in a meeting next month.
Besides other initiatives, it was made mandatory for the players to participate in at least 75 percent of matches in the domestic season. The season will end with a Pentangular tournament, featuring as many as "100 best players" from the provinces or zones.
The meeting stressed the need for promoting club and school cricket, to be organised by the associations with the PCB providing financial support to the associations on institutional basis.
The recommendations made and the decisions taken by the meeting are revolutionary in nature. Had the top cricket authorities taken such steps soon after the dissolution of the elected PCB council and the governing body in 1999, there would have been a marked improvement in the standard of the game.
The two consecutive debacles - 2003 and 2007 World Cups -- have jolted the PCB bosses quite badly, hence the need for taking a hard look at the solution.
The proposed incentives, including cash rewards and decent salaries to all First Class cricketers, will encourage the national team players to turn to domestic matches.
It is hoped that the players will be concentrating on their fitness, agility and alertness in addition to the batting and bowling to prove themselves as real professionals.
NO WORD ABOUT CONSTITUTION:
Interestingly, the meeting discussed every thing and anything related to cricket -- formation of sub-committees, consisting of elected representatives of the associations all over the country to monitor tournaments, umpiring, coaching, finances and other departments -- but it unfortunately ignored the most important issue - a early end to ad hocism and restoration of a constitutional set-up.
The PCB Ad hoc Committee Chairman hardly made a passing reference to the much-awaited constitution. One of the participants of the meeting drew the Chairman's attention to the fact that the old constitution is still very much intact and that document could still be followed and adopted in letter and spirit until it is replaced with a new in one.
He also pointed out that the term "ad hoc committee" means a committee formed for specific purpose and for a short time. Dr Nasim Ashraf responded by saying that old constitution was silent on the duration of ad hoc committee.
ADVISORY COUNCIL: The PCB's plan to constitute an Advisory Council, comprising regional and departmental representatives, to monitor domestic developments, has dimmed the hope for implementation of new constitution, which the office of Attorney General of Pakistan reportedly returned to the PCB with certain "objections."
It is strange that the PCB prepared and finalised the draft of the new constitution without taking on the board all the stakeholders, the affiliated associations, and sent it in a haste to the office of the Attorney General of Pakistan for vetting. It is strongly believed that the A-G office had suspected some lacunae and discrepancies in the draft.
In the absence of a constitutional set-up, the country's cricket affairs, including hiring of coaches, are continued to be on ad hoc basis.
There is no denying the fact that the PCB's move to arrange a meeting of those who matter in the national and domestic cricket affairs was a welcome step, but one still feels things will never change unless the PCB Chief Patron, President Pervez Musharraf, intervenes and orders immediate transfer of power to the elected representatives and bring an end to the longest-ever ad hoc-based system of governance in PCB in the supreme interest of the game.
Cricket lovers have appealed to the President to constitute a committee, comprising Justice Chaudhry Ejaz Yousuf, a senior member of suspended PCB Executive Committee and once a manger of Pakistan cricket team, and the Presidents of country's two biggest associations, Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) and Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), and representatives of departments, to review the draft of the proposed constitution and come up its recommendations within 60 days.
RESERVATIONS:
Expressing reservations about certain clauses in the new draft constitution, which are found to be in conflict with a democratic and enlightened vision of the PCB Chief Patron, they said all the powers to run the cricket affairs of the PCB had been vested in the nominated Chairman of the PCB and the future general body and executive council of the Broad, consisting of affiliated associations of the country playing a symbolic advisory role.
They welcomed one of the clauses in which the tenure of the future ad hoc committee has been restricted. They also appealed to President Musharraf not to give his consent to the proposed constitution unless it also had input of the affiliated associations, the real stakeholders.
They regretted that the associations were finding it hard to promote cricket at grassroots level as these had been deprived of their share in the income of international matches.
The PCB chief was also reminded that only recently, elections of almost all the affiliated bodies of the PCB had been completed, hence it is right time that the PCB also begins democratisation of the game's controlling body and transferring powers to the elected representatives with a view to elect the new office-bearers from among the members of the general body.
Referring to the vast powers enjoyed by the Chairman of the Ad hoc Committee, they suggested curtailment of the Chairman's powers and fresh appointments in the Cricket Board with the approval of the general body.
About Dr Nasim Ashraf's plan to run the PCB on the patron of a corporate entity, they said it would only be possible if an elected executive board and general body were empowered to take important decisions.