Butt's 'one-man fiefdom' bad for Pakistan cricket

An editorial in a leading Pakistan newspaper has said that the one-man 'fiefdom' of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt would kill cricket in the country.

"A small sport cannot afford to lose a significant member, but thanks to one man, Pakistan stands alone in its hour of greatest need. Ijaz Butt, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, has made enemies where friends are required," the editorial in the Dawn said.

"The PCB is being run as one man does a fiefdom. Butt has presided over two of the darkest years of cricket. For cricket to have any hope, firm action needs to be taken," it added.

The editorial also accused Butt of rubbing most cricket boards the wrong way during his two-year stint.

"After his tasteless accusations against England, one more has gone and with it another venue where Pakistan can play cricket. This is not how you respond to an organisation that went out of its way to help, as the England and Wales Cricket Board did," the editorial said.

"If Butt wanted to fight back, he should have hit the right target: those tabloids that speculated irresponsibly at Pakistan's expense. The allegations after the Oval ODI, in particular, are sketchy," it added.

Earlier, Butt had sparked outrage in the cricket world by saying, "there is loud and clear talk in bookie circle that some English players were paid enormous amounts of money to lose the match… No wonder there was total collapse of the English side."

However, he later denied accusing England players, claiming that he had merely been relaying information from bookmakers relating to the third ODI at the Oval.