Pakistan Cricket Board Chief Executive Ramez Raja, the Test player-turned TV commentator, has accused the world governing body ICC of following double standards in dishing out punishments to players belonging to different countries.
Raja is peeved at the two-match ban slapped by the ICC on speedster Shoaib Akhtar for tampering with the ball during his country’s tri-series final against New Zealand in Dumbulla while the world governing body’s match officials let go Australian paceman Glenn McGrath and West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan scot free after an on-field altercation during the course of the fourth Test at Antigua.
In a statement the PCB Chief said, “I do not want to defend the acts of Shoaib Akhtar because his action was discouraging to Pakistan cricket and that too at a time when we are trying to introduce a new culture in the new team. He has been reprimanded and he has shown his remorse,” adding that similar TV evidence should have been taken recourse to punish McGrath and Sarwan.
He pointed out that both the offences, ball-tampering and sledging, should have received similar punishments as both these constited Level Two offenses under the ICC Code of Conduct. McGrath and Sarwan were not pulled up by umpires Shepherd of England and Venkataraghavan of India and was not brought to book by Match Referee Mike Procter too. The first two officials were criticised later by ICC Chief Malcolm Speed for not punishing the offenders.
“The recent on-field skirmishes in the West Indies have failed to stimulate the ICC officials compared to the ball tampering episode of Shoaib Akhtar that has been given credence even though proper rules and procedures were not followed.”
“Both rules are to be interpreted by the match referee. In the West Indies, recently it was proved beyond doubt that there was a just and undeniable case of a Level 2 offence regarding sledging, involving Glenn McGrath and Ramnaresh Sarwan. Surprisingly, no action was taken either by the umpires or the match referee,” he said.
"Shoaib’s action of scratching/cleaning the ball was considered an attempt of changing the condition of the ball by the match referee (Gundappa Visvanath of India). There is a wide difference between actually doing something and attempting to do something which is relatively a lesser crime, " the PCB Chief, who is planning to bring up the issue at the June meeting of the ICC Executive Board in London, added.
shabash Ramiz.. you the man :k: Its been a while since ICC is maintaining double standards… ts high time that they follow the same set of rules for players of every country. Mcgrath clearly was way over the line but not even a warning??? Damn.,..
That's what you get when you have a capable head in the top circles. You get educated introspections in what may/may not harm your board and it's interests. And more importanyl can bring it up to the I-sisssy's (ICC) attention being a figure of authority.
ICC is the nothing but piece of $hit. But I guess we don't have to worry about that again, some Pakistani dude is becoming president of the ICC. Good job, Raja.
I agree with Ramiz on this one, I was very surprised to see Shepard sending Waqar out in Johannesburg against Aus for throwing beamers but McGrath not being punished no matter how innocent it looks, the action needs to be taken.
I don't think its just ICC but the match umpires and referees as well who needs to be punished by not treating anyone fairly.
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*Originally posted by UMAIR316: *
I agree with Ramiz on this one, I was very surprised to see Shepard sending Waqar out in Johannesburg against Aus for throwing beamers but McGrath not being punished no matter how innocent it looks, the action needs to be taken.
I don't think its just ICC but the match umpires and referees as well who needs to be punished by not treating anyone fairly.
[/QUOTE]
I agree, we hear about p;layers getting punished all the time, what about refree's and umpires. Ramiz is right on the dot with this issue. I hope he raises hell with ICC over that. It seems some other people get away doing anything but we always get punished for our mistakes. McGrath should have served a ban after that match and if sorry can get him away why not Shoiab. We'll throw so glycrine in Shoiab eyes, he'll look all pathetic with crying eyes and say sorry.
The question was not directed at you. A rhetorical question aimed at ICC. How can they possibly classify Akhter as a repeat offender and let McGrath off the hook.
