Prof Mohammad Sadiq, former chairman provincial committee regional cricket association Multan, has criticised the legal applicability of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s new model constitution for cricket clubs. In a detailed letter to PCB General Manager Junaid Zia, Prof Sadiq said that the clauses and view-points needed to be struck down from the constitution. He also sent a copy of the letter to PCB chief patron Prime Minister Imran Khan and PCB chairman Ehsan Mani. Prof Sadiq said the new constitution and its provisions and articles are a clear cut violation of fundamental rights of cricket clubs. “The PCB has declared mandatory for every cricket club to maintain three turf pitches and one cement pitch and for that purpose, it is also mandatory to maintain necessary equipment. It is absolutely impossible for clubs to fulfil such conditions as they neither have any source of income at all nor the PCB, PSB or provincial sports boards provide them any financial assistance.” The ex-Multan cricket chief said this model constitution for clubs has neither been presented in any conference or seminar of stakeholders/representatives of cricket associations nor they have been consulted, rather it has been forcefully enforced. He added neither the PCB nor the PSB or provincial sports boards provide any grant or financial aid to the cricket clubs rather club authorities and members manage all the financial and administrative matters on basis of self-help and according to rules laid by them.
Brian Sturgess
