Butt thanks Pawar and ICC for backing Pakistan

By Rahul Bajaj
for Cricketain.com

Published: August 29, 2009

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Karachi: Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt was all praise for ICC vice-president Sharad Pawar, saying that the former BCCI president remained sympathetic and neutral during PCB’s negotiations with the ICC on issues relating to the hosting of World Cup matches in Pakistan.

Butt conceded that it did cross his mind that BCCI actually may have ditched PCB in its effort to get back the 14 matches of the 2011 World Cup which were shifted out of the country on security grounds. But along with ICC president David Morgan, Pawar remained sympathetic and helped them to find a solution which enables PCB to retain hosting fees despite not actually hosting matches, he said.

“At first that thought came to my mind but I can say with confidence that David Morgan and Sharad Pawar remained neutral throughout and were very helpful and supportive to our cause,” Butt told reporters in Lahore.

The PCB chief said that the BCCI did oppose Pakistan’s proposal to hold its share of World Cup matches at neutral venues or getting those 14 matches back to Pakistan but made it clear that Pawar remained neutral and didn’t favor the Indian board during the entire dispute.

“Morgan and Pawar have been very supportive to Pakistan cricket and I am thankful for that. It was because of them that we have managed to resolve this dispute and reach a solution acceptable to everyone,” Butt said.

He said Pakistan itself never wanted any disruptions in the World Cup because of its legal proceedings against the ICC. “We wanted this issue resolved quickly,” he said.

He also said that Morgan and Pawar had both assured the PCB that they would do their best to convince the Indian board to resume bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan by next year in the UAE or England. “We might be playing against India at a neutral venue. I told Morgan and Pawar that there was a need to revive Indo-Pak cricket ties.”

Butt conceded if India didn’t play against Pakistan in next four years, the PCB could end up losing around $70 million of its $140.5-million deal it had signed with a Dubai-based broadcaster for television rights.

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