Kaneria’s appearance at cricket event violates ban

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board is likely to face some questions from the ICC after one of its senior officials was spotted at a private match in Houston, USA where banned Test leg-spinner Danish Kaneria also played.

A friendship series of T20 matches in Houston was held from April 11 to 13 in which several Pakistan Test players took part.

The surprise was the appearance of Kaneria in the matches and the presence of Badar Rafai, the Marketing Director of the PCB, at these matches.

Kaneria, who has appealed in the London High Court against the life ban imposed on him by the England and Wales Cricket Board for alleged spot-fixing, was invited for the match although he is not allowed to take part in any cricket activity under the terms of his life ban.

‘Pakistan’s contribution to cricket can’t be ignored’

Pakistan is not the part of ICC’s revamped structure but its contribution in the game at the international level is enormous, according to Arif Abbasi, the former PCB chief executive.

“I am not sure whether there was any real offer [for Pakistan] to join hands with India, Australia and England and to make it a ‘Big Four’, but the fact is our country’s contribution to cricket can’t be ignored,” he said over telephone from Karachi.

“Don’t forget it was Pakistan which won the 1987 World Cup bid and not the Indian cricket board. Only at the insistence of NKP Salve, the BCCI chief then, India could become the co-host”, he informs.