Ehsan Mani’s expenses 75 percent less than Najam Sethi’s: PCB

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani, during his first year incharge of the board, reduced his and his office’s expenses by a massive 75 per cent, according to a provisional and unaudited financial statement.

The statement, which offers a side-by-side comparison of expenses incurred during the incumbent and former PCB chairmen’s expenses, reveals that Mani has been paid Rs10.36 million under various heads since becoming the new chair on September 4, 2018.

Meanwhile, Sethi, the chairman before Mani, had claimed Rs39.5m during the financial year that ended on June 30, 2018.

Mani stays true to PM Imran Khan's austerity drive

If the PCB’s unaudited report is to be believed, Mani, who had vowed to follow Prime Minister Imran Khan’s austerity drive, is staying true to his words, as his expenses are just a fraction of Sethi’s.

A cursory look reveals that Mani made the biggest savings in Vehicle Allowance and its various subheads as well as daily allowance and accommodation while on foreign tours.

Where Sethi had claimed Rs3.6m in Vehicle Allowance, Mani took nothing. Similarly, where the former PCB chairman had spent a massive Rs7.8m in daily allowance and accommodation (foreign tours), the current chair’s corresponding expenses stand at a rather reasonable Rs2.3m.

It is pertinent to mention here that Sethi had had to travel frequently and extensively abroad in order to bring PSL and international cricket to Pakistan. However, an overall expenditure of Rs39.5m still seems exorbitant, considering no other chairman had even come close to that outlay.

In fact, Sharyar Khan, the PCB chairman before Sethi, had spent a combined sum of Rs36m in his three years in charge of the board. Sethi’s numbers for just financial year 2017-18 dwarf Sharyar’s three-year outlay.

'I was doing the work of four people': Sethi

When Dawn approached Sethi, he did not seem to question the veracity of the numbers posted by the PCB. He did, however, say that Mani has created three new lucrative positions, which share the burden of work which was previously being done by just the PCB chairman during his era.

“I was doing the job alone for which now Chairman, MD, (now CEO), a retired government officer and then media director are working. But I was doing the work of all these four people alone. I was to deal all the affairs with the government by myself. Please also add their expenses too to Mani’s expenses,” Sethi told the English daily.

"My expenses are on travel for PSL purposes and also for bringing international cricket back. Plus travel for legal case against BCCI. He (Mani) got everything readymade. [He] didn’t have to travel,” explained Sethi, who has gone back to journalism since being ousted from sports administration.

When reminded that he also had a director media in the form of Amjad Bhatti, Sethi contested the claim, saying: “I was handling media myself. Amjad’s job was mainly PR with media.”

A point to note here is that PCB chairmen do not get paid a salary since it’s an honorary position. They are, however, entitled to a variety of allowances.