Ehsan Mani denies speculations on the return of Big Three
Ehsan Mani, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, has turned down any speculations regarding the return of the 'Big Three', which comprises of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA).
The Big Three was a domineering cricket body which had a significant say and role in the policy-making decisions of the International Cricket Council.
Speaking about the prevailing situations under the novel coronavirus pandemic, Ehsan Mani accepted the fact that some cricketing boards will prefer their own interests over the future of world cricket.
“PCB has no issues with BCCI. I do not have a fear that some countries will put their interests ahead of what is good for the game as a whole. We all owe a duty of care to the global game and the well-being of world cricket and not put our short term interests before it,” Ehsan Mani said.
Touching upon the recent postponement of the Asia Cup to 2021, Ehsan Mani emphasized that the deferment would have a negligible financial impact on Pakistan. He also revealed that an agreement between the PCB and Sri Lankan Cricket Board (SLC) had already been struck regarding the island nation hosting the tournament.
SLC and PCB agreed to host Asia Cup in Sri Lanka: Ehsan Mani
"SLC and PCB agreed some time ago that Sri Lanka would host the next Asia Cup instead of Pakistan, as it is more likely that Sri Lanka will be in a position to host it as the Covid-19 impact there appears to be in better control than in most countries in our region. The financial impact on Pakistan is minimal; the importance of the Asia Cup is that it generates funds for the development of the emerging Cricket nations in Asia."
During the online interview, Ehsan Mani also shared his thoughts on the significance of India-Pakistan clashes in cricket. He said that a bilateral series against the neighbors was not in PCB's immediate plans due to the policies of the Indian government.