Ex-PCB chief defends Ashraf's stance against ICC 'revamp' following 'corrupt' IPL findings

A former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief has given his support to deposed chairman Mohammad Zaka Ashraf and said that Pakistan's stance against the controversial ICC revamp is 'honourable' given the 'damning' findings in the report on the Indian Premier League (IPL) corruption scandal.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka abstained from the voting in the ICC Board meeting last week in which the three biggest cricketing nations - India, Australia and England - got a majority of the powers in the sport's governing body, securing the required eight votes from the 10 full members.

According to The Dawn, Arif Ali Khan Abbasi slammed the government for the treatment meted out to Ashraf, who was sacked on the orders of Prime Minister and PCB patron Nawaz Sharif, for 'mishandling Pakistan's case in the recent changes brought in the ICC'.

Abbasi, who held the post of the chief executive at the PCB between 1994 and 1996, said that Ashraf had no choice but to oppose the controversial revamp and he believes the stance has been justified keeping in mind the findings in the IPL corruption report from the Supreme Court of India.

Stating that ICC was 'foolish' in allowing the revamp, Abbasi also said that the revamp should be reviewed as 'people linked with corruption' are going to be handling the finances of ICC, adding that 'people who have sacked' the PCB chief know nothing about cricket or the politics of cricket.

Abbasi is also of the opinion that Pakistan was treading a fine line with constant interference from the government in running the affairs of the PCB.