The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has strongly denied allegations made by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Najam Sethi that ACC President Jay Shah made "unilateral" decisions regarding the ACC Calendar 2023-24 and the pathway structure. In a press release, the ACC stated that the calendar was approved by its Development Committee and Finance & Marketing Committee in a meeting on December 13th, 2022. It was then communicated to all participating members, including the PCB, via email on December 22nd, 2022.
The ACC emphasized that no comments or suggested modifications were received from the PCB and therefore, Sethi's claims are "vehemently denied" by the ACC. The ACC also stated that it has followed established due process in creating the calendar. However, Sethi has maintained that the PCB did not receive any emails from the ACC on December 22nd or at any other time, a claim which was also confirmed by the PCB CEO, Faisal Hasnain. This disagreement over the communication of the calendar raises questions about the transparency and efficiency of the ACC decision-making process.
As per ACC's statements,
“It has come to our knowledge that PCB Chairman Mr Najam Sethi has made a comment on the ACC President unilaterally taking the decision on finalising the calendar and announcing the same,”
“The ACC wants to clarify that it has followed established due process. The calendar was approved by its Development Committee and Finance & Marketing Committee in a meeting held on December 13th, 2022.
“The calendar was then communicated to all the participating members individually, including Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), via an email dated December 22nd, 2022. While responses were received from specific Member Boards, no comments or suggested modifications were received from PCB.
“In view of the above, Mr Sethi’s comments on a social media platform are baseless and are vehemently denied by the ACC.”
The controversy surrounding the ACC Calendar 2023-24 and the pathway structure has significant implications for the Asia Cup 2023, which is scheduled to be held in Pakistan. The success of this major cricket tournament depends on the effective organization and planning by the ACC and the PCB. It is important that any issues or misunderstandings are resolved in a timely and satisfactory manner.
In conclusion, the ACC denied allegations by Najam Sethi that Jay Shah made unilateral decisions regarding the ACC Calendar 2023-24 and the pathway structure. However, the disagreement over the communication of the calendar has raised concerns about the transparency and efficiency of the ACC's decision-making process. The resolution of this issue is crucial for the smooth and successful organization of the Asia Cup 2023 in Pakistan.
Also, see:
Babar Azam among nominees for ICC player of the month award
