Asia Cup 2023: PCB officials visit to Casino in Colombo sparks controversy

During the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 in Sri Lanka, Pakistan’s current media manager, Umar Farooq Kalson and Adnan Ali, general manager of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), are facing scrutiny after several images and videos surfaced online of their visit to a casino in Colombo. The incident has raised significant concerns over potential violations of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) anti-corruption code of conduct, which prohibits visiting gambling establishments. 

PCB officials might face trouble

The PCB officials clarified that they went to the casino to have dinner, a claim that was highly criticized by the cricket fans and fromer cricketers.

PCB media officials Umer Farooq Kalson and Adnan Ali having a good time in a casino in Colombo. Cricket fans will recall that Chief Selector/Manager Moin Khan was recalled during World Cup 2015 and sacked by PCB Chairman Sheharyar Khan when he was seen in a casino in Christchurch… pic.twitter.com/eRoF534xD1

— Shakil Shaikh (@shakilsh58) September 9, 2023

Pakistan’s former test opener Mohsin Khan also expressed surprise over the irresponsible behavior of the two PCB officials to go to a casino during the ongoing Asia Cup tournament.

Christchurch’s incident

The situation is similar to that of the Pakistan World Cup 2015 issue, in which Moin Khan, the team’s manager and subsequently lead selector, was expelled from New Zealand after visiting a casino in Christchurch.

Then PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan made it obvious that Moin had violated the team’s and his contractual code of behavior, notwithstanding Moin’s claims to the contrary. They had gone out to dinner.

Since all PCB officials and players were required to abide by the board’s and the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code, which strictly forbade visiting locations where gambling is practiced or where there is a higher risk of corruption, Moin Khan at the time defended his firm action to recall and then sack him.

India, Bangladesh, and the co-hosts of the Asia Cup 2023, Sri Lanka, are currently in a Super Four match with the Pakistan cricket team. The ‘Men in Green’ are one of the favorites to qualify for the finals after Babar Azam’s leadership helped them thrash Nepal and Bangladesh with impressive margins of victory.