ICC denies making payments to PCB officials for CT preparation

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has denied making any direct payments to PCB officials while they were working in the secretariat of the Champions Trophy, which has now been shifted out of Pakistan.

The legal adviser of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Shan Gul had sent notices to four employees, Zakir Khan, Subhan Ahmed, Ehsan Hameed Malik and Arif Katchilo asking them to explain how they received funds to the tune of Rs 10.56 million directly from the ICC in their bank accounts. But apparently, the board's legal adviser was not briefed properly on the issue as the ICC has told the PCB that no direct payment was made to these individuals.

"All event funds were paid to the PCB managed bank accounts," the sources quoted the ICC as telling the PCB.

"Whenever ICC events are held in some country the host country board is asked to involve its employees specially in the staffing for the event and funds included in event budget for this," the source added.

The PCB legal adviser had claimed that around 10.56 million were dispersed directly by the ICC into the accounts of six employees including former chief operating officer, Shafqat Naghmi and director human resources Nadeem Akram.

Sources in the board said the ICC had sent a message to the PCB explaining the procedure for payment levels and the process of staffing for the ICC Champions Trophy.

The ICC has said the amounts allocated for staff costs for the Champions Trophy secretariat were incorporated into the ICC event budget and approved by the ICC board and the PCB was well aware of this. The PCB has also been informed that the process to involve PCB staff in Champions Trophy secretariat began in August 2007 and the PCB.