Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board is seeking the ICC’s guidance to diffuse a row with international news agencies which boycotted the national team’s first Test in New Zealand to protest the PCB’s accreditation rules and conditions.
A PCB official said the accreditation terms given out for the ongoing series in New Zealand was similar to those adopted by the ICC.
“Infact the news agencies covered the Champions Trophy and Pakistan’s one-day series in Abu Dhabi under the existing terms and conditions for accreditation,” the official said.
He termed the attitude of the news agencies, which didn’t cover the first test in Dunedin, as unreasonable. The Associated Press, along with AFP and Reuters are boycotting the ongoing series.
“We are discussing things with them and we told them to cover the first Test under old terms and we will resolve this issue soon. But they didn’t agree,” he said.
The official said the PCB found itself in an awkward situation as the dispute was over some clauses in the accreditation terms and conditions some of which dealt with commercial rights and rights of broadcasters.
“We can’t change the accreditation rules and regulations without consulting the ICC as the same format is being followed elsewhere now as well,” the official said.
The new agencies have also boycotted the coverage of the West Indies tour to Australia for the same reason after failing to reach an agreement with Cricket Australia.
Interestingly, PCB sources told reporters that news agencies’ collective body had informed the PCB that the ICC changed some of the disputed clauses in the regulations after the Twenty20 World Cup in England and before the Champions Trophy but the PCB was unaware of this.
“The PCB asked the agencies to provide some details of the revised policy but they didn’t get any,” the source stated.
PTI
