ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat's statement that he would be disappointed if Pakistani cricketers implicated in the spot-fixing scandal are found not guilty has miffed the governing body's former president Ehsan Mani, who feels the remark was inappropriate.
Mani said the case was yet to be heard by the ICC code of conduct tribunal and Lorgat's statement was not required and unnecessary.
"The three-member ICC tribunal will hold the hearing next month, therefore Lorgat should not have said anything on the issue, his (Lorgat's) remarks were inappropriate and if I was the ICC president, I would surely take action against him", said Ehsan Mani told the 'News One' channel.
Lorgat has also upset the lawyers based for the three suspended players, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.
The trio will attend a hearing from January 6 to 11 in Doha regarding the various charges levelled against them by the ICC anti-corruption and security unit.
Mani also hit out at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and said the way the PCB had given a cold shoulder to the trio was inexplicable.
"I would think the PCB should have stood by the three players until they were proven guilty," he said.
But Tafazzul Rizvi, the legal advisor of the PCB made it clear he didn't believe Lorgat's statement was uncalled for or inappropriate.
"One must not forget that he is also the ICC chief executive and the ICC is the party pressing the charges against the player in this case so Lorgat has every right to say he would be disappointed if the players were not found guilty," Rizvi said.
He also pointed out that the PCB would not have anything to do with the case since the ICC had charged the three players individually and they had to respond themselves.
"The PCB is not a party in this case and cannot be seen as getting involved with the players or supporting them in any manner," he said.
Mani, meanwhile, also questioned the PCB's policy of quietly sidelining some senior players from the national team including Kamran Akmal, Danish Kaneria and Shoaib Malik.
"To me it appears as if the PCB is dancing to the tune of others," he added.
"The PCB first terminated their contracts and then pulled back the legal support too, no organisation does this to its employees. Also the manner in which a few more players were quietly sidelined is also dubious. I feel that the PCB has no control over the issue and it is only acting on external instructions", said Mani, who headed the ICC between 2003 and 2006.
