Lahore, Sept. 18 (ANI): Former Pakistan first-class cricketer Tahir Shah has criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) by calling it the 'Political Cricket Board' saying political interference is the main reason behind the game's popularity declining in the country.
"The incompetent PCB officials, who are getting huge salaries and perks, are responsible for the fast declining cricket at domestic and club levels. They are unaware of issues and problems being faced by the club owners and cricket organizers," The Nation quoted Shah, as saying.
"They hand over most of the regional and zonal matters to regional officials which are promoting favourtism and nepotism culture at regional level. Most of the regional officials are misusing their powers and destroying the game by giving favour to their blue-eyed and depriving the deserving players of their due rights," he added.
He said that an independent committee should be formed to keep check and balance on the senior and regional PCB officials to stop wrongdoings.
"There must be an independent PCB governing board comprising two members each from Punjab and Sindh and one each from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It should be empowered to take the corrupt PCB officials to task and award exemplary punishments to the culprits so that no one after them may dare to think so," he said.
"Almost 700 officials and workers are working in the board and most of them are only wasting national wealth while on the other hand, the board has announced a 700 million deficit budget for the current fiscal year due to financial crisis," he added.
Shah said the board should adopt austerity measures to cut its deficit and sack unnecessary officers to save the national exchequer.
"It is dire need of the hour that honest officials should be empowered to curb the corruption in the regions that is vital for cricket boost in the country," he concluded.(ANI)
