PCB chief Ehsan Mani ridiculously slams Indian government again for no Indo-Pak cricket

There is nothing quite like India and Pakistan locking horns with each other on a cricket field. The rivalry between the two nations is considered as one of the biggest sporting rivalries in the world. However, both nations have been at loggerheads since the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai which, in turn, also affected the cricketing scenario between the two countries.

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PCB chief Ehsan Mani blames Indian government for non-commencement of India-Pakistan bilateral ties

The teams only play each other only in the International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments and Asia Cup. The political ties between both the countries have made bilateral series next to impossible to be hosted. Now, PCB Chief Ehsan Mani has opened up about the non-commencement of India-Pakistan bilateral ties.

According to Cricket Pakistan, PCB chief Ehsan Mani said that Pakistan-India matches are the most-watched cricket matches in the world. Ehsan Mani added that, however, apart from the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events, India and Pakistan do not play against each other due to the policy of the Indian government.

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While blaming the Indian government, PCB chief Ehsan Mani further said that it is good for the health of global cricket that India and Pakistan play against each other. Ehsan Mani also said that while they plan their cricketing calendar they do not take into account any bilateral series against India. Both the teams haven't played each other in a bilateral series since 2012-13. The contests between the two nations have been restricted to multi-tournament events like the World Cup and Asia Cup.

Again, this comes across as a case of extended ignorance if nothing else from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), despite them losing a case against BCCI two years ago after ridiculously accusing them of not 'honouring MoU commitments'. BCCI won the case primarily on the argument that any India-Pakistan cricket matches first require the permission of the central government. Normally, once both the governments agree for the series to happen, then the boards can confirm the same and hold it in whichever venue they wish to.

Hence, Mani's knowledge also comes as a major surprise considering that he has been the head of the ICC in the past for a full term.

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly out of contention to become next ICC chairman

Sourav Ganguly was elected as the BCCI President last October but his tenure technically concludes in July after which he would need to undergo a three-year cooling-off period. Subsequently, it was reported that Sourav Ganguly might replace Manohar as the next ICC chairman. However, according to Pakistan's The News, Sourav Ganguly is no more in the race to replace Manohar.

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The report further states that PCB chairman Ehsan Mani is now leading the race to become the next chairman of the governing body of the game. Sources said that Ehsan Mani accepted the role to become PCB chairman after being convinced by Prime Minister Imran Khan. He took the responsibility as he wanted to serve Pakistan cricket. However, he will have to leave PCB prematurely if he agrees to contest the election and is successful in the bid to become ICC Chairman.

The sources further said that pressure is mounting on Ehsan Mani to accept the coveted role of ICC chairman from several of the top Test-playing nations. On the other hand, Sourav Ganguly is out of the race as several Test-playing nations are cautious of too much Indian influence in world cricket. But Ehsan Mani is yet to accept the offer from various ICC member nations to contest the election. Mani has prior experience in heading the ICC as its erstwhile President from 2003-2006.

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IMAGE COURTESY: ANI