It was an unsmart move from a seemingly smart man. Back in 2014 Najam Sethi kneeled in front of the Big Three, who were taking over world cricket, and later told his countrymen that the surrender would enable a cash-strapped PCB to earn tens of millions of dollars in the near future.

We all know what happened next. PCB never saw a dime. In fact that abject surrender has cost the Board millions from its own precious funds. In its pursuit to force BCCI to pay 70 million dollars, PCB launched a legal battle that ended with a disappointing decision from ICC’s Decision Resolution Committee. And the BCCI is now threatening to claim damages.

But who is responsible for the fiasco? Of course, the prime culprit is Najam Sethi. But what about other top PCB officials like the Board’s longest-serving COO Subhan Ahmed? Are such officials there to tell any chairman that his wish is their command or are they there to serve the interest of Pakistan cricket?

Ehsan Mani, the current PCB chairman, distanced himself from the issue immediately after taking command of the Board as if it wasn’t his mess. But Mr. Mani once you sign up to take charge of Pakistan cricket, you sign up for everything. So, it is your mess now.

Mani, however, isn’t the villain of the piece. It’s Sethi. And I found his ‘this is not cricket’ response to the DRC verdict quite hilarious.

Sethi responded: "I find this finding to be a mockery of the law. This means that sports boards can in future renege on bilateral or multilateral contracts simply by clutching at "oral" or perceived views of governments without offering proof or evidence.

"It reaffirms the notion that financial power is might and might is right, exactly the philosophy that led to the discredited ‘Big 3’ nexus in the first place. It will also reinforce the BCCI as the big bully on the block. This is not cricket."

To be honest, he didn’t say anything wrong. But you can’t run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. Sethi must have known what he was doing when he supported the Big Three in hopes of having a seat at the table. He must have known that the Big Three wasn’t about fair trade. It was a blatant display of might is right.

Back then, almost everyone except for Sethi himself could see the writing on the wall. He, however, was dancing to a different tune. While strongly defending his decision to support BCCI, Sethi told reporters in the spring of 2014 that "we were left isolated in world cricket, we could have gone bankrupt but we agreed to the revamp after getting written assurances of eight years cricket with all member countries including India which will benefit us to the tune of three billion rupees."

By the summer of 2015, Sethi had changed his tone. On August 20, 2015, he has turned into quite a pessimist. The former PCB boss commented, "the Indian government has seemingly withheld its permission for India to play Pakistan stating that the cricket series would be inappropriate in the current atmosphere of tension at the borders, Lakhvi’s release, Gurdaspur incidents. Accordingly, there is a possibility that India would not agree to honour its commitment to play its series with Pakistan."

Three years later, the DRC after hearing the case, decided that Sethi’s "pessimism" was justified. I hope Sethi had shown such pessimism earlier, before bowing his head in front of the BCCI and its partners in crime.

PCB’s compensation case against BCCI won’t bring the rewards that Sethi promised. Pakistan cricket now needs to move forward. It’s true that the Board needs bilateral matches against India to fill its coffers. But then I need to win the Mega Millions Jackpot to be an instant billionaire. Pakistan will get to host India in a bilateral series whenever the Indian government decides that such an event can take place. It’s a no-brainer. Mani believes that this could happen after next year’s general elections in India. He might be right. But what if Modi wins again? He doesn’t come across as a man who would change much in his second term.

That’s why PCB must explore ways and means to increase its income. It’s only fair to give the devil his due. After a series of aborted efforts in the past, the Board finally managed to deliver the PSL under the command of Sethi. The PSL, despite all its limitations, is a money-making exercise. The Board, under Mani, should give it due importance.

It’s true that Indo-Pak rivalry is the biggest draw in international cricket. Even the Indians know that. But they have moved on. They have created a major rivalry with the Aussies. It’s now top draw. I know that when it comes to the size of the market, we cannot compete with the Indians. We don’t have to. Cricket is king in Pakistan, a country that has become one-dimensional when it comes to sport. Cricket doesn’t just get the lion’s share. It gets everything. If you can’t sell your product in such conditions, then you better stay home.

A full bilateral series against India will certainly be a short-cut for PCB in its efforts to fill its dwindling bank accounts. But that short-cut currently looks like a million-to-one shot. Why wait for it?