Lahore attack report awaiting govt clearance: PCB

Rubbishing Ehsan Mani's claim that PCB was dragging its feet on the resumption of international cricket in Pakistan by delaying the report on the Lahore attack, board chief Ejaz Butt said they were ready with the document but were awaiting government's clearance to submit it to ICC.

"Mani's interpretation is far from reality. The inquiry report into the incident was prepared by a Lahore High Court panel and the copies of the report have already been given to both PCB and the government," Butt said.

"It is a sensitive issue and we can't bypass the government. We will surely send the copy of the report to the ICC as soon as the government permits us to do so," the PCB chairman said.

Pakistan has been deprived of international cricket after leading countries refused to tour the strife-torn nation following the militant attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in March last year, which killed eight people and injured seven Sri Lankan players and their assistant coach.

But Mani, who was president of the International Cricket Council (ICC) from 2003 to 2006, yesterday said that PCB's failure to submit a report on the Lahore attack was a major hindrance in the revival of international cricket in Pakistan.

PCB chairman Butt, however, came down hard on Mani for leveling various allegations on him and his policies.

"Mani became the ICC president with PCB's support and now his criticism on the same board while sitting in the UK is simply unjust," Butt said.

Butt also dismissed Mani's allegation that the PCB had first assured ICC of supporting former Australian Prime Minister John Howard's nomination for the vice-president's post of the game's governing body, but later backed out.

"He (Mani) is lying to say the least. I did not give any commitment whatsoever to any ICC official in this regard. We did what we thought was the best. We did not follow anyone's line," the PCB chief said.