PCB considers abolishing of departmental cricket

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is contemplating a radical change in its domestic cricket structure which would see the abolishment of departmental cricket after nearly five decades in the country.

A PCB source told PTI that at the last managing committee meeting held in Lahore this month, Chairman Najam Sethi had expressed his dissatisfaction with the prevailing domestic cricket structure which is split into first class tournaments for departments/banks and regional cricket associations.
"Apparently a proposal has been sent to the constitution committee of the board to incorporate in the constitution which would convert the domestic structure based on regional cricket," the source said. "The radical proposal is that departments and banks instead of fielding their own teams should take over sponsorship/management of a region which would play the first class tournament," he said.
"Under the proposal a department /bank would be asked to provide around 20 million rupees financial assistance to a region with the board also contributing a similar amount. The concerned department or bank will than have two of its representatives on a management committee which will also include two office bearers of the concerned regional association and a representative of the board which will than select and manage the regional team in the domestic cricket season," he explained.
Under the proposal, the department or bank which provides patronage to a region will also provide a certain number of players for the regional team in the first class and one-day tournaments.