Pakistan’s suspended cricket chief Najam Sethi vowed on Sunday to appeal against a court judgement which reinstated his rival in the latest round of musical chairs in the game’s management.
The Islamabad high court on Saturday overturned a February 10 order by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointing Sethi as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and sacking Zaka Ashraf.
Saturday’s judgement reinstated Ashraf for the second time this year, after he was initially suspended by the same court in in 2013 over “dubious elections”.
Sethi said the court judgement would be challenged “vigorously and swiftly.”
“The good steps we took to professionalise and invigorate cricket and clean up the PCB will not be allowed to go in vain,” Sethi told AFP.
The Sethi-led PCB has initiated a complete overhaul of the Board since February, terminating surplus staff which the court ordered in May last year.
Sethi also appointed several coaches, including head coach Waqar Younis and batting coach Grant Flower of Zimbabwe earlier this month in a bid to improve team’s performance in next year’s World Cup to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Sethi said he was in the process of giving the PCB a democratic constitution and was set to hold elections by next month.
“Two ex-Supreme court judges submitted a draft of a democratic PCB constitution to the federal government last week. I wrote to the government to vet it, promulgate it and hold PCB chairman and board elections before 9th June,” said Sethi, who is also a veteran journalist.
Ashraf has vowed to review all decisions taken by the Sethi-led management committee, including those of coaches.
“A good number of decisions and appointments have been made by the previous PCB set-up. I will review each one of them to decide if these were made on merit,” Ashraf told Pakistani media.
The frequent changes in PCB’s set up has raised concerns in the International Cricket Council (ICC), which finds it difficult to finalise important issues with frequent changes in Pakistan cricket management.
Ashraf had strongly opposed the proposed revamp in the ICC meeting in February while Sethi conditionally agreed to the changes in the last meeting in April.
The ICC Board had voted in favour of the changes in February this year. The changes will be formally approved in the ICC Council meeting in Melbourne next month.
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
More coverage from the Future Forum
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
Brief scores:
Manchester City 2
Gundogan 27', De Bruyne 85'
Crystal Palace 3
Schlupp 33', Townsend 35', Milivojevic 51' (pen)
Man of the Match: Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace)
