The PCB seems to be in no mood to give in easily to the ICC's decision to strip the nation from co-hosting the 2011 World Cup. Days after the chief cricketing body was issued a notice by the PCB in which it stated that the decision seemed 'legally flawed,' it has now raised the ante. The board sent a letter to Micheal Beloff, president of the ICC Disputes Resolution Committee asking them to refer the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). In a statement released, the PCB said that the letter carried a request whereby the matter should be referred to the arbitration tribunal which was appointed in accordance with the rules of court of CAS to be held in the United Kingdom. It justified its stand by stating that since the controversial decision was taken by ICC executive board, the Pakistan Board deems it appropriate that in the interest of justice, equity and fair play, the matter should be adjudicated by CAS rather than the ICC Disputes Resolution Committee. The ICC was even asked to expedite on the matter. The letter meanwhile was sent to Beloff through Mark Gay of DLA Piper, who'd be assisted on the matter by PCB's legal advisor, Tafazzul Rizvi.
The move gains great significance as there has been a strong feeling within the PCB and in the country on the whole that the ICC could have waited more before delivering their vedict. Despite the attacks on the Sri Lankan team which many feel was the final nail in the coffin so to speak, the feeling within the country was that 2011 was still 2 years away and the security situation could have improved by then. There is also a suspicion that the country has been targeted by certain members of the ICC who have used the situation to their advantage and have sidelined Pakistan in the process. The ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat chose to not comment on the matter saying that it's a matter of dispute and that they'll have to deal with it.
In things related to Pakistan cricket, allrounder Shahid Afridi stated that despite playing very little international cricket, his team will still be a force to reckon with in the T20 World Cup in England. Even Bangladesh have played more international cricket than Pakistan in the past 2 years but despite that, Afridi feels that the team under the able leadership of Younis Khan will be strong enough to make up for the lack of adequate international outings.
