‘Awarding Oval Test to England a big joke’

“The world cricket body has made a mockery of itself by yielding to pressure from few members countries as well the MCC,” Ashraf told ‘The Dawn’.

The Oval Test was originally deemed a forfeiture by Pakistan but was declared a draw last year by the ICC only,a decision that has been reversed yet again.

“The whole thing appears to be a big joke as far as I am concerned since the verdict-change last year had come about after careful consideration of the facts and fair-play by the ICC besides forceful presentation by us at the forum,” Ashraf said.

The former Chairman and his colleagues have been summoned by a Senate standing committee on sports on February 9 to explain charges of financial mismanagement and misuse of power in their tenure.

Ashraf was in-charge when Pakistan had successfully managed to get the Oval Test result changed from a forfeited win for England to a draw.

“This is an extremely unjustified stance that the ICC has taken now for which I feel the current chairman,David Morgan is to be chiefly blamed,” he said.

“Although Haroon Lorgat is my friend,he is actually a weak person and Morgan has probably dominated all through this episode,” Ashraf claimed.

Ashraf also praised the Chairman of the England Cricket Board Giles Clarke for totally backing the Pakistan point of view in the Oval Test saga last year which was instrumental in the ICC changing the result.

Commenting on the shifting of the Champions Trophy,the former Chairman added that once again the ICC had relented to pressure from countries like Australia,England and New Zealand.

“This smacks of double standards as both Australia and England have played in India in much worse circumstances. So why single out Pakistan as a troubled region. When the Sri Lankans can play and when six teams can compete in the Asia Cup why can’t the Champions Trophy be staged in Pakistan,” he argued.