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The International Cricket Council (ICC) in a self-contradictory policy granted international status to Tangier (Morocco) to host international events.

The ICC chief, Malcolm Speed, only last week speaking on BBC Radio had expressed apprehension of corruption at neutral venues and expressed grave concern. He, however, said that the problem was being addressed by the former London police chief Paul Condon's anti-corruption unit.

If the ICC was so concerned about corruption in cricket and specially on neutral venues one wonders how the ICC gave green signal to Tangier to stage international events with Morocco having no cricketing background.

The idea of having series at neutral venues has just picked up. In fact it is the by-product of Sept 11, 2001 World Trade Centre scenario. Pakistan being an ally of the countries which have vowed to fight terrorism became the first target of international sports. The West Indies which was due to tour Pakistan according to the ICC Test Championship plan chalked out for five years backed out. They showed reluctance to tour Pakistan because of the US led world coalition action in neighbouring Afghanistan. Instead the West Indies and Pakistan decided to play the series in Sharjah which was treated as a neutral venue and the two countries played the Test series in Sharjah for the first time in cricketing history.

As far as Sharjah is concerned one could pacify himself by saying that the work force in UAE mostly comprises Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Indians and Sri Lankans and since cricket has great following in that part of the world the game can provide entertainment to the expatriates.

It was despite the fact that the whole purpose of holding Test matches between two countries is to promote and popularise the game in those countries. That purpose was served to bare minimum thanks to electronic media. But the real purpose was not served.

The ICC is strict in giving affiliation to cricket playing countries and no country is granted Test status straightaway. It has to go through a system. But it had set the principles aside while granting international status to Tangier where the game is perhaps not played even locally. If at all it is played there it has no significance. Then how come the ICC granted Tangier international status.

There seems to be something seriously wrong at the ICC headquarters where the Condon Committee should start a probe. It will be better if the things are set right before Tangier becomes Las Vegas or Monte Carlo for cricket gambling.From the circumstances under which the ICC has made its commitment, it appears that it has been trapped by some influential people who must be having some ulterior motives. Nobody with a sane mind can think of supporting any place which has no background or history of the game. It is not the handy work of any one individual. It seems that some evil minded people have gathered together to swindle the cricketing world.

I am afraid that Pakistan has committed itself to play in the inaugural tri-nation tournament in August alongwith Sri Lanka and South Africa. Pakistan should have taken a careful stand as Pakistani cricketers were in the front of match fixing at home and abroad and it took them several years to get their names cleared. So much so that two Commissions were set up, one under Justice Qayyum who even took action against some Pakistani players. Former Pakistan captain Saleem Malik was debarred for life while some of the players of the present Pakistan team were fined for not cooperating with the inquiry commission.

Another Commission under Justice Bhandari of the Lahore High Court has just completed its inquiry on the allegation of fixing of matches in the England World Cup and has cleared Pakistan's cricketers of all charges.

Under the circumstances the PCB should not have gone out of the way to support a venue in Morocco where the game has never been played and no one has heard of cricket in Morocco. The PCB has taken a great risk and one hopes that our cricketers return home unscathed from Tangier.

It is learnt that some people in the PCB who influence the decisions of the PCB Chairman Lt-Gen Tauqir Zia have painted a rosy picture of Tangier's potential. Tangier is another money spinning venture of CBFS who have now started a sports channel Ten Sports and are assured of generating funds for themselves and come in competition with world's leading sports channels. What happens to other competing teams is to be seen.

The thing which is beyond comprehension is why the ICC did not suggest places like Dhaka (Bangladesh), Nairobi (Kenya) or any other country. The most suitable of all the venues would have been Dhaka where two good teams can draw capacity crowds and the game can be popularised. Why of all the places Tangier has been selected smacks of some foul play and underhand dealing. The ICC will have to labour a lot to clear its name of indulging in foul play unless it comes out with a clear cut policy.

Can the ICC explain who applied for the Tangier venue. Was the request supported by the Moroccan Government. If not how come the ICC took a decision. If it has erred on any count it is time that it should reconsider its decision and save the world's cricket body's integrity.

© Dawn