PCB chief Ijaz Butt ‘forgot’ about hosting series, claims Javed Miandad

Pakistan lost an opportunity of hosting an international cricket series after a gap of a year only because the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt officials actually ‘forgot’ about it, board Director General Javed Miandad has said.

Miandad said Pakistan had to play five one-day internationals against an all-star West Indies squad in Karachi from February 10 to 24, however, when he asked Butt for his final nod for the series, Butt said he ‘forgot’ about it.

“Ijaz asked me which tour? I don’t know’ and I was shocked. If we had organised five matches against the all-star West Indies team it would have given a positive signal to the world,” Miandad said.

“Everything was finalised, even the tentative dates of the tour were set,” he added.

Miandad said he and other PCB officials such as chief operating officer, Wasim Bari had arranged the series against the Caribbean squad, which included former greats like Richie Richardson Curtly Ambrose, Carl Hooper, Wavell Hinds and Franklyn Rose.

The incident is the latest in the continuous battle of words between Miandad and Butt.

Just a few days ago Butt had said that Miandad was being paid 7.5 lacs, and if his other expenditures were to be included, he was costing the board almost 10,00,000 rupees per month.

Butt dropped another bombshell last week, saying the PCB paid Miandad 8.4 million rupees for a week’s work in an entire year.