Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan warned on Saturday that there could be a rebellion against the ‘Big Three’ if India turn down a proposed series against Pakistan in December-January.
The PCB chief called on India to honour a Memorandum of Understanding under which the arch-rivals agreed to play six series from 2015-2023 — pending clearance from both governments — the first of which is this year in the United Arab Emirates.
Khan reiterated that Pakistan signed ‘Big Three’ deal, which effectively handed over control of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to India, England and Australia, on the promise of lucrative series against the neighbours over an eight year period.
“We signed the new constitution on the understanding that India would play us six times in eight years. This was the inducement to us to drop our opposition and for the ICC to have a unanimous agreement,” Khan said.
But the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to give a final response on the series comprising of two Tests, five one-dayers and two Twenty20 internationals and Khan said there was a feeling within his board that Pakistan had been duped with the offer of matches to drop its opposition against the ‘Big Three’.
“Now we are now facing the problem if India does not play. It not only goes against MoU they signed but also the understanding on which we signed the new constitution.”
The PCB chief said Pakistan were not the only country to have been given the rough end of the stick.
“I know apart from Pakistan there are other countries not happy with this unequal treatment within the ICC board. It is unequal and undemocratic. But we signed it so we had to accept it.
“But within a year if treatment is not the same for each country then I think Pakistan will have to consider what to do about it. What can we do? There are other countries that feel like this. Anything is possible. I think the deal can be undone if the big three themselves feel this is not getting the work done.”
Khan’s statements are likely to increase pressure on the ICC as the 81-year-old former diplomat already indicated on Wednesday that Pakistan may pull out from next year’s World T20 in India if it doesn’t not receive security clearance from the Nawaz Sharif government.
Under the rules if a government stops a member country from featuring in an ICC event then there are no fines.
