PCB boss Butt defends decision to revoke ban, fine on players

Lahore, Jun.7 (ANI): Notwithstanding the massive criticism that it has received from various quarters for first banning players and then revoking it later, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt has defended the appellate tribunal's decision to lift the bans and fines imposed on some of the senior cricketers.

Butt said the decision revoke the ban was taken in accordance with the board's constitution, and added that by slapping ban and fining players, the board has given a message that it would not tolerate any misdeeds in the team.

"The fact is also that we have sent out a clear message to the players that we will no longer tolerate anyone spreading discord in the team or violating the code of conduct," The Daily Times quoted Butt, as saying.

"There is no U-turn. According to the board constitution the players have the right to appeal and we followed that procedure to the hilt," he added.

Butt also rejected reports that the bans were lifted as the PCB was under tremendous pressure from certain top political leaders.

"There was no pressure but there were requests to reconsider the penalties. The national assembly standing committee on sports also asked us to reconsider. But whatever we did was strictly according to the provisions of the constitution," he said.

Earlier, former captain Zaheer Abbas had blasted the board for first humiliating senior players by banning them and then revoking their punishment, saying such acts would only encourage player politics.

Commenting on the PCB's appellate tribunal's decision to lift the indefinite ban on former skippers Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik, Abbas said the whole incident just showed the board's 'inconsistency'.

"They have an autocratic system in the board. They do what they want and have no remorse at all," Abbas said.

"I see no logic to ban a player and then remove it after two months. The board first tried to discredit the players and now by removing the bans abruptly, they are discrediting themselves," he added.

Abbas pointed out that the PCB was encouraging player politics by lifting the ban, as in future players would not fear any ban or fine knowing that they have no consequences.

"It (revoking punishments) sends a negative message to the world that the board has no administration and consistency. The whole world knows that the PCB banned players and knows the board has lifted the ban, it has made itself a laughingstock," he said. (ANI)