Former ICC chief advised PCB to sue cricket's apex body

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Lahore, May 11 (ANI): Former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani was the brain behind Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) mounting a legal challenge to the ICC's decision to move the 2011 World Cup matches from the country for security reasons.

According to reports, PCB chairman Ijaz Butt held several meetings with Mani after the decision to shift the World Cup matches was taken by the ICC and it was Mani who suggested that the PCB should not allow the matter to be dead.

The PCB on Saturday announced that it had sent a legal notice the ICC for stripping Pakistan of the right to host World Cup matches.

Mani, who was the ICC chief between 2003 and 2006 gave the advice to Ijaz during meetings in Dubai and Abu Dhabi recently when Pakistan were playing Australia in the one-day internationals series, the Daily Times reported.

Mani told the PCB that the ICC decision could be challenged legally as it was flawed on many counts. "Mani advised Ijaz to seek the services of the London based law firm, Mark Gay and DFL Piper, and send the notice to the ICC," according to reports.

Ijaz said the notice was sent to the ICC in protest against the decision because if security was the reason for moving the World Cup matches out of Pakistan, then it was no better in Sri Lanka and India.

"We didn't want to and don't want to give useless statements on losing the World Cup matches. But I think our sending the ICC a legal notice is our way of protesting against this decision," Ijaz told a news conference.

It was during Mani's tenure as ICC president that the 2011 World Cup was awarded jointly to Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. (ANI)