ICC Task Team wants PCB to change selection policy

Pakistan and India have been urged to resume tours to each other by an International Cricket Council task team, which has also recommended the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman loses his right to veto team selection. The neighbours have not played in a bilateral series since Pakistan toured India in 2007. Political relations became strained after the terrorist attack in Mumbai in 2008 and India postponed its return tour to Pakistan.
The ICC’s Pakistan Task Team implored the Pakistan and India governments to seek swift resolution to enable “this great iconic series to resume.” “The absence of the traditional bilateral series between Pakistan and India from the international cricket calendar is denying millions of cricket loving fans across the world from enjoying an iconic series,” foreign wire news agencies quoted some reports. “It is also hurting the sport, particularly in Pakistan and the PTT sees no reason why this great sporting rivalry should not be restored as soon as possible, even if on neutral soil.” Pakistan is scheduled to tour India next year, and in the Future Tour Program for 2012-20 the ICC has scheduled at least three series between the teams. The PTT, chaired by England’s Giles Clarke, was formed in 2009 to ensure Pakistan retained and developed international cricket after the deadly attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore that March ended all major visits, and prevented Pakistan from co-hosting this year’s World Cup. Since then, Pakistan has hosted five “home” series in the United Arab Emirates and England. It also played against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka in July 2009 which was supposed to be Pakistan’s home series. In ending its obligations, the PTT’s 38-page report presented to the ICC conference in Hong Kong last week regarded the appointment of the PCB chairman by the country’s president as highly unusual, and wants an end to the government’s undue interference in the PCB.
The PTT made a number of recommendations about the PCB, including national team selection. The task team observed that Pakistan has had at least five different sets of selectors over the past five years, with the chairman of the board appointing the captain. “There must be stability in the composition of selection committee,” the PTT says. The national team is announced only when it is approved by the chairman, but the PTT says the “chairman’s right of veto on the selection of players should be removed.” Presently, 45 players are centrally contracted with the PCB, including 30 in Category A, B and C, with 15 receiving monthly stipends. However, the PTT has recommended reducing contracted players to 25 plus 10 on stipends.