PCB and BCCI to put golden goose on life support

If you aren't aware, the PCB and BCCI recently made an agreement where by the two boards decided that they'll make their respective teams play 15 games against each other within the next five years on a neutral venues in countries with large expat communities.

This is in addition to the MoU the two countries have earlier signed in which they decided on a frequency of once every two years for full tours to each other's countries. All of which means that barring miracles no year will pass without an India Pakistan cricket game of some sort.

The News suggests the purpose of these games is to put the affects of player burn out to test make money although they do point out that some of the money generated from the Abu Dhabi games at least is going to be donated to charitable causes (75% from the first game goes to Pakistani earth quake victims and the remaining to India's).

50% from the next game will go to the BCCI and PCB each. All the remaining revenues, including a small matter of $ 1 billion that will be earned through a TV contract, Shehreyar Khan insisted to Dawn will be held exclusively with the BCCI.

Fears in certain quarters that that two boards might fight like two little kids wanting the same ice cream have differences over the monetary issues can be safely dismissed on the evidence of history (Pakistan insist to date that India still hasn't given Pakistan its due share from the revenues of the 1996 World Cup).

Skepticism by others that too many India-Pakistani games will be akin to killing the goose that lays gold eggs has been countered by the two boards with their suggestion of keeping the goose on life support after it's been opened to take out all the gold eggs at once.

In other news related to these games Pakistan have aannounced their squad, dropping Arshad Khan, Salman Butt and Umar Gul. Umar Gul was instead picked for the Pakistan A side that also goes to Abu Dhabi on April 22 to play in the Euro Asia Cup also featuring the Sri Lanka A, India A and the national teams of Ireland, Scotland and UAE that one can presume will generate yet more money.

Prominent names missing from the A-squad was the once-upon-time reliable middle order batsman Asim Kamal and the former blind-love interest of Pakistan Cricket Mohammad Sami. I have earlier frowned upon the new records set when observing loyalty by way of giving Sami an extended run in the national side when he did not merit such loyal treatment, but dropping him even from A-squad?

That's probably a bit harsh you have think. A new record set in observing disloyalty? Strange that Imran Khan -Sami's biggest fan on the planet- hasn't protested about this as yet, he probably will not before long.

Labels: bcci, burnout, fatigue