Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has turned a blind eye to ICC standard procedures by refusing to allow the team’s leading performers of the day in the ODI series against Bangladesh take media queries.
In the ongoing series against Bangladesh, the team management has not brought any leading performer of the day to the post match conferences with only captain Shoaib Malik making himself available.
Mohammad Yousuf scored a hundred in the first one-dayer while Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal got centuries in the third one-dayer in Lahore on Sunday but none came to address the media despite repeated requests.
When contacted a spokesman of the ICC said that it was standard procedure to put the player of the day for post match conferences. Bangladesh’s top performers of the day have all come to post-match conferences.
A PCB spokesman said the players are not being allowed for the post match press conferences because the board wants to avoid unwanted controversies.
“We want to avoid controversies and players complain they are asked questions out of context with the match and the media generally creates controversies,” he said.
The PCB has unveiled heavy financial penalties for its players under its new media policy outlined the central contracts given to the players.
A leading Pakistani player said that on condition of anonymity that they had been told to be very careful about interacting with the media or they would definitely face the penalties laid out in the contracts.
“They have posted a penalty as much as Rs 5 million for a minor violation. No one wants to risk being penalised,” the player said.