Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi has claimed that Pakistan missed out on a 'major' opportunity to be the part of a 'Big Four' group proposed by India, Australia and England after Mohammad Zaka Ashraf took over as chief from him for a brief period.
In February this year, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif removed Ashraf as chairman of the board, appointing an 11-member committee, headed by former interim PCB chief Sethi, to run the affairs of the PCB.
According to The Dawn, Sethi said that the 'Big Three' offered them an opportunity to join them and become the 'Big Four', although he added that it is unfortunate that the talks he started with the three countries were not pursued further by the PCB when he 'was not around'.
Stating that Pakistan is now left with nothing, Sethi further said that it was India who made that offer, adding that they would not make any money until and unless they play with India given that every other board is toeing the line set by the powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Pakistan abstained from the voting in the ICC Board meeting in February in which the three biggest cricketing nations - India, Australia and England - got a majority of the powers in the sport's governing body, securing 9 votes from the 10 full members, the report added.
