Ehsan Mani terms ICC ban on Sarfraz Ahmed as âbureaucratic processâ
Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ehsan Mani has labelled the four-match ban imposed on Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed by the International Cricket Council as a âbureaucratic processâ. The punishment was made public by South African skipper Faf du Plessis at the toss on the 4th ODI on Sunday.
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed was handed a four-match suspension by ICC for breaching the Anti-Racism Code for Participants. The 31-year-old cricketer passed racist comments towards South African all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo during the second ODI against the Proteas earlier this month. Now, Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ehsan Mani has taken a jibe at the International Cricket Council by saying that they have imposed a ban on the Pakistan captain through a mere âbureaucratic processâ.
âThis is my issue that they sat on it. Our statements and apologies were public. This is not something you brush under the table, it has to be dealt with openly and transparently. We did all of that. But because ICC couldnât get the two players in a room together, they said letâs charge him. And that to my mind is utter nonsense.
âWhy this bureaucratic process that it didnât go exactly according to the book in terms of reconciliation with an ICC mediator? We donât need an ICC mediator. So very seriously, we will push on this because somewhere common sense was overruled by bureaucratic process,â Mani told ESPNCricinfo in a recent interview.
Mani added that the governing body should not have charged Ahmed since the apologies were made face-to-face between the players and conveyed publicly and were accepted at the board level and at the management level as well.
âSo as far as we were concerned, an apology had been tendered and accepted and the only question was whether Sarfaraz deserved any punishment. I had already said we should pull Sarfaraz out for 2-3 games. I felt very strongly that this has to be a strong message for everyone,â Mani added.
Mani further went on to add that the ICC had offered a reconciliation process to Andile Phehlukwayo which involved an ICC mediator, as per the anti-racism code who is appointed to resolve such disputes. But Phehlukwayo refused the offer which implied that everyone could move on.
âWe had cleared the air. So common sense should have meant that was the end of the matter. We made an apology at all levels and it had been accepted by everyone. We have a good relationship with CSA. For the ICC to jump in because Phehlukwayo was upset and didnât want a reconciliation process, [and to feel they] have to charge Sarfaraz, thatâs where I think a bit of nonsense comes into this. What else can you achieve by sitting them in a room? Theyâre not school children,â Mani said.