Asif Iqbal disassociates
himself from CBFS

H S Rao

Asif Iqbal, chief coordinator of the Cricketers' Benefit Fund Series, on Thursday announced his disassociation from the Sharjah-based body, saying "heavy infiltration of politics in the sport has created an atmosphere about which I feel deeply uncomfortable".

"I think the internal politics of Indian cricket infiltrated the government, and the government became a tool in fulfilling its designs," Iqbal told PTI in London.

Iqbal said he had batted for the CBFS for 20 years on a level pitch, where cricket and the welfare of cricketers were the only considerations before him.

"But now the sharply turning politico-cricket that has started has convinced me it is time to take the pads off," he said.

Regretting that the "thoughtless decision" of the Indian government has snuffed out cooperation between India and Pakistan on which is based the Asian Cricket Council and the Asian Cricket Foundation, Asif said the entire future of Asian cricket as an institutional development is now in grave doubt.

Answering queries, Asif said: "It is rather sad that one particular sport -- cricket -- is targeted while the two neighbours meet in other games like hockey.

Rejecting the charge that Sharjah is not a regular venue, Iqbal said unlike Toronto or Singapore, the desert centre has been holding regular tournaments for 20 years.

"I think it is a joke to equate Sharjah with Singapore or Toronto and to call it a non-regular venue. CBFS has staged by far the largest number of one-day internationals; hundreds of cricketers from all over the world, in particular the Asian subcontinent, have been given benefits, and the total amount paid would run up to millions of dollars. The comparison of Sharjah with other off-shore venues is therefore not even worthy of comment."

He said the modern game and cricketers all over the world should be grateful to Kerry Packer, who introduced the Kerry Packer World Series, 25 years ago, which has benefitted the players enormously. "At that time, the establishment was against Packer, but now it has accepted the day-night playing conditions, colour clothing and white balls which have become regular features of the game," he said.

Like-wise, he continued, cricketers from the subcontinent, including Sri Lanka, should be grateful to Abdurrehman Bhuktiar and the CBFS for recognizing their services to the game and honouring them with a purse of $35,000 each. "It is on record that millions of dollars had been awarded to cricketers in the form of benefit purses," he added.

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Mail Cricket Editor