One has heard constant whispers and snide remarks about pay offs having been made to various cricketing boards in order to ensure disgraced former BCCI president Narayanswamy Srinivasan's anointment as the first ever Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), but the statement emanating from sources within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) not only lifted the lid off the proverbial can of worms but also put to rest all doubts one had in this regard..........
In a obvious and blatant pay off for not having opposed Srinivasan's election, the PCB has been rewarded with the juicy and financially ripe cherry of six bilateral series between the two constantly warring neighbours and arch rivals India and Pakistan between 2015-2023, four of which will be played on supposedly neutral grounds and venues in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).........
Announcing the welcome (for the PCB at least) development on Thursday, (Srinivasan's first day in office as ICC chairman), the PCB spokesman gleefully disclosed the fact that the Indian Cricket Board had duly turned the Memorandums of Agrrement (MOUs) signed by the board officials earlier this year into binding agreements between the two boards and that the six hitherto agreed upon bilateral series would now be played between 2015-2023.........
What he however failed to disclose was the fact that the done deal was a promised pay off for not opposing Srinivasan's official anointment as the first ever ICC chairman despite having raised a massive hue and cry about the same and other such unsavoury developments within the ICC echelons when these contentious issues were first promoted or then floated for consideration............
So all's well that ends well as far the two parties are concerned as both have got what they wanted to begin with, Srinivasan has been officially anointed and deified as the ICC's first ever chairman and a cash strapped and almost defunct PCB has got a renewed lease of life and welcome shot in the arm what with the six tours being made an integral part of the ICC's future tours programme as well as the UAE willing to play hosts to four supposedly bilateral series............
As for sage words and sentiments like propriety, honesty, dignity, decorum and conscience; did these terms and sentiments ever exist in both Srinivasan's as well as the PCB's lexicon in the first place..........
In a obvious and blatant pay off for not having opposed Srinivasan's election, the PCB has been rewarded with the juicy and financially ripe cherry of six bilateral series between the two constantly warring neighbours and arch rivals India and Pakistan between 2015-2023, four of which will be played on supposedly neutral grounds and venues in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).........
Announcing the welcome (for the PCB at least) development on Thursday, (Srinivasan's first day in office as ICC chairman), the PCB spokesman gleefully disclosed the fact that the Indian Cricket Board had duly turned the Memorandums of Agrrement (MOUs) signed by the board officials earlier this year into binding agreements between the two boards and that the six hitherto agreed upon bilateral series would now be played between 2015-2023.........
What he however failed to disclose was the fact that the done deal was a promised pay off for not opposing Srinivasan's official anointment as the first ever ICC chairman despite having raised a massive hue and cry about the same and other such unsavoury developments within the ICC echelons when these contentious issues were first promoted or then floated for consideration............
So all's well that ends well as far the two parties are concerned as both have got what they wanted to begin with, Srinivasan has been officially anointed and deified as the ICC's first ever chairman and a cash strapped and almost defunct PCB has got a renewed lease of life and welcome shot in the arm what with the six tours being made an integral part of the ICC's future tours programme as well as the UAE willing to play hosts to four supposedly bilateral series............
As for sage words and sentiments like propriety, honesty, dignity, decorum and conscience; did these terms and sentiments ever exist in both Srinivasan's as well as the PCB's lexicon in the first place..........
No comments:
Post a Comment