Abb Takk News
News Ticker Sports

PCB Chairman Lashes Out At ICC Over Sarfaraz Ban

Lahore: PCB chairman Ehsan Mani has lashed out at the International Cricket Council’s decision to charge and ban Sarfraz Ahmed, saying that the governing body’s “bureaucratic process overruled common sense”.

According to Mani, the ICC need not have charged Sarfraz once apologies had been publicly made and accepted. Apologies, the PCB chairman said, had been conveyed publicly, at board level, at the manager’s level as well as by the player.

“So as far as we were concerned, an apology had been tendered and accepted and the only question was whether Sarfraz deserved any punishment,” Mani told a cricket website.

“I had already said we should pull Sarfraz out for 2-3 games. I felt very strongly that this has to be a strong message for everyone.”

But the ICC, Mani said, offered Phehlukwayo a reconciliation process, as allowed under the anti-racism code as a means to resolve such disputes and which would have involved an ICC mediator. Phehlukwayo refused the offer, wanting instead to move on.

“We had cleared the air,” Mani said. “So common sense should have meant that was the end of the matter.”

We made an apology at all levels and it had been accepted by everyone. We have a good relationship with CSA. For the ICC to jump in because Phehlukwayo was upset and didn’t want a reconciliation process, [and to feel they] have to charge Sarfraz, that’s where I think a bit of nonsense comes into this. What else can you achieve by sitting them in a room? They’re not school children.”