The Pakistan Cricket Board is confident of getting a final go-ahead from the International Cricket Council to stage the Champions Trophy
MUMBAI: The Pakistan Cricket Board is confident of getting a final go-ahead from the International Cricket Council to stage the Champions Trophy. A day before the tele-conference among the ICC’s all-powerful board members, the PCB said Pakistan is ‘legally’ and also ‘logically’ on a strong footing to get the ICC nod.
A top PCB official told DNA that the the ICC’s security consultants have given a green signal. “That Pakistan is a safe place is not what we’re alone saying. Even Nicholls-Steyn (security consultants) are saying that. They have applauded our arrangements during the Asia Cup. So logically, there is no reason why the tournament should not be staged in Pakistan,” PCb official Shafqat Naghmi told DNA from Karachi. He added: “By legally I mean we have the approval of the law. If you are looking for the numbers to get a resolution passed, then we’ve those numbers.”
To shift the year’s biggest one-day tournament, seven of the ICC’s 10 board members have to vote for it. At this stage, PCB is confident of at least five members. Pakistan’s confidence stems from the fact that the Board of Control for Cricket in India-led group in the ICC is strongly behind them. Naghmi revealed even the West Indies could vote for them. “We understand that the West Indies have no issues,” he remarked.
Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa have raised the concerns of security for their players and are pressing for a shift. The Indian Board, on its part, gave thumbs-up for the tournament. “Our team was there recently and we are satisfied with the security measures,” BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said. “We’ve never raised any concerns about the security.”
However, it will not be Shah who will be part of the tele-conference, to be presided over by ICC president David Morgan. BCCI’s president-elect, Nagpur-based Shashank Manohar, will be hooked by phone from Dubai.
The ICC has sent out the observations of the security consultants — for and against staging the event in Pakistan — to each member. A decision is expected by 7 pm on Thursday.
Apart from security factor the other issue against Pakistan is its preparedness. The PCB has proposed three venues — Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi — but only one centre is fully ready. The work at Lahore and Pindi in particular, is not yet complete.
However, Naghmi said the PCB would meet the deadline. “The work is going on on a war footing. It will be complete before time,” he said. The tournament scheduled between September 11 to 28.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}