On Monday, Sethi added, “if the government says don’t go to India, we will not go,” referring to a warning made by his predecessor, Ramiz Raja, that Pakistan would contemplate dropping out of the mega event if India didn’t travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup.
The new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Najam Sethi, has stated that the choice to send a squad to next year’s ODI World Cup in India will be made at the government level. On Monday, Sethi added, “if the government says don’t go to India, we will not go,” referring to a warning made by his predecessor, Ramiz Raja, that Pakistan would contemplate dropping out of the mega event if India didn’t travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup.
Let’s get one thing straight about cricket ties between Pakistan and India. Sethi said during a press conference in Karachi, “Decisions on whether or not to play tour is usually taken at the government level.”
The PCB can do nothing more than lobby for clarification, as these decisions are ultimately made at the federal level. Sethi stated that he would be contacting the Asian Cricket Council about the problem of Pakistan hosting the Asia Cup in the following year.
In other words, “I need to assess the issue before proceeding. Any action we do must take others into account. Furthermore, Sethi stated that neither he nor the PCB would oppose to Raja returning to the commentary booth.
“Ramiz is someone I have a lot of respect for, and if he wanted to come back to the commentary box, we wouldn’t stand in his way at all.” Sethi also dismissed the previous PCB administration’s online accounts of his spending, calling them inaccurate.
“The first thing I plan to do when I return to Lahore is to present the facts to the public. Sethi claimed that the reported financial details were “completely false.”
As for the removal of Raja as PCB chairman, Sethi defended current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s decision.
When 2018 rolled along, I was in charge as chairman. Even though some individuals in (the) corridors of power told me no one will remove me, I resigned when Imran Khan’s government was created. I quit because I’ve always held the view that the prime minister should be able to pick his own person to oversee cricket operations. Sethi added that he has spoken with Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s former head coach, about bringing him back.
I have spoken with Mickey about his current deal with Derbyshire. We’ve consulted with him on the team’s new coaching structure, and we expect to have more information in 8-10 days.
Arthur “performed a lot of good work” while on the team and “pushed Babar Azam forward.” He also kept the team in great shape and disciplined. If he’s healthy and available, I think he’d be a wonderful addition to the squad.
