Habib Bank Limited (HBL) ends its association with departmental cricket to concentrate on PSL

[MenInG]

As per media reports....

 

[MenInG]

UBL, Allied Bank and now HBL....

Almost a self-fulfilling prophecy here - at this rate, there will be no need to discuss departmental vs regional cricket issue

 

[saeed5646]

Forgive my ignorance but i Struggle to understand what these department have given to pakistan cricket. I hope regional cricket is implemented sooner rather than later

 

[srh]

UBL, Allied Bank and now HBL....

Almost a self-fulfilling prophecy here - at this rate, there will be no need to discuss departmental vs regional cricket issue

regional cricket makes total sense; there should never have been departmental cricket

 

[saeed5646]

regional cricket makes total sense; there should never have been departmental cricket

People who think pakistan cricket problem is at top leadership are wrong .these crooks in domestic cricket are there from years and nobody dare to touch them .Hopefully we can get rid of these useless organisations

 

[Savak]

This is what the supporters of Departments don't talk about, Departments have been scaling back their investment in Domestic Cricket, Cricketers are no longer offered full time jobs but contractual positions, also pays and benefits have gone down as well in comparison to the past. Cricketers very often now are being let go once they retire or are told to generate money for the organization.

 

[b.lesner]

My 8 teams for new setup
1. Lahore
2. Multan
3. Peshawar
4. Quetta
5. Karachi
6. Sind ( rest of sind)
7. Sialkot
8. Islamabad

 

[adzzy786]

Can’t read Urdu can someone translate

 

[MenInG]

 

[zoeyfactor]

Right decision as one of the integral local corporations to make.

 

[MenInG]

Younis Khan not happy with this:

"Whoever has made the decision to disband the Habib Bank Limited cricket team should be brought to justice"

"Last year UBL side was disbanded, and I tried my best to motivate them to change their decision, even went to England to speak to [management] but they had made their decision"

 

[Markhor]

This is what the supporters of Departments don't talk about, Departments have been scaling back their investment in Domestic Cricket, Cricketers are no longer offered full time jobs but contractual positions, also pays and benefits have gone down as well in comparison to the past. Cricketers very often now are being let go once they retire or are told to generate money for the organization.

Exactly and yet people like Javed Miandad still parrot the 1970s line about how the departments are necessary to provide players a living.

They're not only scaling back but shutting down their cricket operations. Today there's also the PSL where players can earn a healthy income.

 

[Major]

Forgive my ignorance but i Struggle to understand what these department have given to pakistan cricket. I hope regional cricket is implemented sooner rather than later

bhai the sports culture of pakistan and Australia is not the same. Its different.

I dont understand you guys keep on saying that tehre should be regional teams and departments should be disbanded and dont understand the consequences.

Departments teams provide jobs and better pay and dont have cricekt politics.

Regional teams dont provide decent pay, plus its rift with club politics.

Most the people who play cricekt in Pakistan are those who are really poor and have spent their whole life in cricket and not bothered to get an education. Hence, once there cricketing career is over they struggle to get jobs in the society. Departments provided that security.

Our culture and australian culture is different.

We want to promote regional tems just for the sake of it,.

 

[Savak]

The lack of money in Pakistan's economy is unbelievable compared to the underground economy. You keep hearing reports of these top 500-1000 Pakistani's whose personal wealths are close to $billion and $millions in the hundreds and yet you hear that the annual expenditure for HBL in its Cricket team was $350,000. Lol, the IPL pays that as a salary to a foreign player like Guptill.

I dont believe that the Pakistani economy does not have money, its the attitude of the businessmen, entreprenuers and organizations who are extremely stingy and hessitant to spend decent money. Like the Agha Khan Foundation is perhaps the richest organization around but lol you compare that to the salaries they pay their people, you automatically get the feeling that inspite of deep pockets, they are being stingy.

 

[Savak]

bhai the sports culture of pakistan and Australia is not the same. Its different.

I dont understand you guys keep on saying that tehre should be regional teams and departments should be disbanded and dont understand the consequences.

Departments teams provide jobs and better pay and dont have cricekt politics.

Regional teams dont provide decent pay, plus its rift with club politics.

Most the people who play cricekt in Pakistan are those who are really poor and have spent their whole life in cricket and not bothered to get an education. Hence, once there cricketing career is over they struggle to get jobs in the society. Departments provided that security.

Our culture and australian culture is different.

We want to promote regional tems just for the sake of it,.

What Jobs? Departments are scaling and cutting back their investments in Sports now, players are no longer offered permanent jobs but contractual jobs and once these players retire, they are served termination notices. This is no longer the 70's and 90's where a player cut relax and rest in peace where he would have zero incentive to work hard and develop other life skills to make a living knowing full well he would have a annuity for life.

 

[Markhor]

bhai the sports culture of pakistan and Australia is not the same. Its different.

I dont understand you guys keep on saying that tehre should be regional teams and departments should be disbanded and dont understand the consequences.

Departments teams provide jobs and better pay and dont have cricekt politics.

Regional teams dont provide decent pay, plus its rift with club politics.

Most the people who play cricekt in Pakistan are those who are really poor and have spent their whole life in cricket and not bothered to get an education. Hence, once there cricketing career is over they struggle to get jobs in the society. Departments provided that security.

Our culture and australian culture is different.

We want to promote regional tems just for the sake of it,.

The big difference between now and the 70s/80s is the existence of PSL where players can make a healthy living.

If mediocre cricketers are too lazy to get a proper education and think they can leech off departments for life then frankly I've no sympathy for them.

 

[Savak]

Eventually future generations will be forced to pursue an education while playing the game side by side.

 

[Major]

The big difference between now and the 70s/80s is the existence of PSL where players can make a healthy living.

If mediocre cricketers are too lazy to get a proper education and think they can leech off departments for life then frankly I've no sympathy for them.

PSL players are t20 players.
Departments produce test and odi players.

 

[Angrez Pakistani]

The big difference between now and the 70s/80s is the existence of PSL where players can make a healthy living.

If mediocre cricketers are too lazy to get a proper education and think they can leech off departments for life then frankly I've no sympathy for them.

How ignorant!!!

 

[fawad_wellwisher]

The big difference between now and the 70s/80s is the existence of PSL where players can make a healthy living.

If mediocre cricketers are too lazy to get a proper education and think they can leech off departments for life then frankly I've no sympathy for them.

that's right. Hopefully the players' behaviour will change now that the departments will no longer provide them with the safety net that enjoyed before after retirement.

 

[Fantasy]

How ignorant!!!

Where is the ignorance part?

He is bang on about mediocre players playing in domestic cricket and I can bet my bottom dollar you would’ve said exactly the same thing if you watch and follow domestic scene in Pakistan. There are more than half,and I am being charitable here,of the players who should not be playing in the domestic cricket or at that level and are just leeching onto the departments because they have made good connections over the years.

And this notion that departments provide permanent jobs to the players is absolutely ludicrous. It used to happen in the past but it doesn’t happen anymore. The very same bank in question. HBL, after the privatisation of banks in 2004 they started giving contracts to players which were renewed every year. So the stability bit is a myth actually. And if some of departments still do but they have started to cut down the investments in the teams that they have formed.

Not to talk about others flaws with current structure.

 

[Hawkeye]

A reality of the current commercial scene.

By all means introduce regional teams, but the number should not be too small as IK has proposed.

All retired/senior TTFs will fill those limited teams.

 

[Markhor]

PSL players are t20 players.
Departments produce test and odi players.

In this era of cricket, players should be able to play all formats.

Anyway, who have the departments produced for the national team recently ? All of our recent national team products have come through the PSL (which I disagree with but that's another topic). So departments are even failing on that front.

 

[JattMaula]

Will only six domestic teams be enough for Pakistan?

Is club cricket of Pakistan at Aussie club cricket level? Or is school cricket at South Africa level?

 

[Hawkeye]

Will only six domestic teams be enough for Pakistan?

Is club cricket of Pakistan at Aussie club cricket level? Or is school cricket at South Africa level?

It's not.

It's full of corruption and nepotism. Huge population another factor.

But, IK seems to be living in a fantasy world.

 

[Markhor]

How ignorant!!!

What's ignorant ? Go look at the lineups in last season's QEA Trophy. The fact is there's about 2-3 decent departments and the rest are bang average and would struggle to compete even in grade cricket in Australia. There's far too many mediocre, ageing players on FC contracts who've been coasting for years.

If you're a specialist batsman averaging below 30 or a specialist bowler averaging above 35, then I'm sorry but you should not be playing First Class Cricket.

The FC system should consist of 100-110 of the leading players in the country. There can then be a larger Grade II tier of several hundred.

Anyway nobody is talking of phasing departments out entirely. There'll still be a role for them in sponsoring the regions in PCB's proposals.

 

[Markhor]

Let the corporates field teams in Grade II cricket.

But FC cricket should be regionalised.

 

[MMHS]

UBL, ABL, now HBL ... and I think there was another bank team in past - MCBL (Muslim Commercial Bank Ltd.). Left is ZTBL, PIA, WAPDA, PTV, NBL, KRL and SGC (N/S) - at this rate, by 2025 most Corporate teams will be gone, therefore they should take a cut off time and start from fresh, scrapping Corporate teams, or may be a separate small league for Corporate - there is Corporate League both in IND & BD, but they don't play in National league any more.

 

[SensiblePakFan]

This is a good thing in the long run. Worth the 'sacrifice' if you wanna call it that.

 

[Angrez Pakistani]

Where is the ignorance part?

He is bang on about mediocre players playing in domestic cricket and I can bet my bottom dollar you would’ve said exactly the same thing if you watch and follow domestic scene in Pakistan. There are more than half,and I am being charitable here,of the players who should not be playing in the domestic cricket or at that level and are just leeching onto the departments because they have made good connections over the years.

And this notion that departments provide permanent jobs to the players is absolutely ludicrous. It used to happen in the past but it doesn’t happen anymore. The very same bank in question. HBL, after the privatisation of banks in 2004 they started giving contracts to players which were renewed every year. So the stability bit is a myth actually. And if some of departments still do but they have started to cut down the investments in the teams that they have formed.

Not to talk about others flaws with current structure.

The ignorance here is that players have been actively discouraged from actively focusing on education by their teams and coaches. They don’t want their best players to be attending a lecture in a University while their teams are playing in a poorly planned and poorly scheduled tournaments. It’s not players’ fault that they abandon their education for cricket. Its actually testament to their dedication for the game.

 

[SensiblePakFan]

It's not.

It's full of corruption and nepotism. Huge population another factor.

But, IK seems to be living in a fantasy world.

Those corrupt players will get them relegated to Grade 2, so they will be incentivized to play good players.
Not that hard to understand.

 

[MenInG]

KARACHI: Habib Bank Limited (HBL) — the title sponsor of the Pakistan Super League — has closed down its most significant sporting identity by scrapping the department’s cricket team.

The closure, which had been looming on the horizon for quite a number of years - particularly after it was privatised in 2003 - came about on March 31 when the top management decided against renewing the contracts of 26 players and six support staff members, including head coach and former Pakistan paceman of the 1980s, Saleem Jaffer.

According to sources, the inevitable winding up of the last of bank’s sports teams - after HBL had already dismantled other sports teams of hockey, football, table tennis, volleyball, badminton, basketball, golf, rowing — was not linked to planned moves by the current government to regionalise cricket full-time by abolishing departmental cricket altogether from the first-class structure.

The sources further said the bank had to provide a budget of Rs100 million or thereabout just to run the cricket team every financial year. However, despite their cricket team now done and dusted, the bank will continue to invest in the PSL in the larger interest of cricket in Pakistan.

Historically regarded as the most successful domestic cricket team which won countless first-class and one-day trophies, be it the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy, the Patron’s Trophy (which was played under several other names) and the Wills Cup (also renamed a couple of times with the induction of new sponsors), HBL completed a grand double in the 2018-19 season with Saleem and sports in-charge Sohail Mazhar playing a pivotal role.

It is an irony though that while the cricket squad had been demolished, the bank will continue to be the title sponsor of the PSL for the next two years after inking a fresh three-year deal worth more than $12 million last year.

The HBL cricket team was formed way back in 1975 just a few after the bank had set up a sports division with veteran pro Abdul Raqeeb — who toured India with the Asif Iqbal-led Pakistan side in 1979-80 as the backup slow left-armer behind Iqbal Qasim — being entrusted with the responsibility of running the team.

“It was A.R. Wadiwalla [who was a senior executive at HBL at the time] who was the pioneer behind setting up of the sports division in our bank as part of the government policy of encouraging sportspersons and providing them employment opportunities,” Raqeeb told Dawn on Wednesday. “From then on we gradually inherited great teams not just in cricket but also hockey, football, basketball, table tennis, volleyball and badminton. There were times when we were the national champions simultaneously in several disciplines and one could name the star players [of these teams] on fingertips because they also served Pakistan internationally with distinction. Moreover, HBL remained the national table tennis champions for about 18 to 19 years on the trot.”

Raqeeb, who headed the HBL sports department for many years, said the upheaval over department cricket teams being scrapped was not surprising.

“We used to hear the same thing over and over again when Tauqir Zia [then a serving general who was the Corps Commander of Mangla] came in as the PCB chairman in late 1999. Then there were words spread that department teams shouldn’t be competing at the top level, and we took up the matter with him to make sure the departments play their role in Pakistan cricket,” Raqeeb reminisced. “But the scenario now is different. Look UBL closed down its team last year and now HBL has done the same. Don’t be surprised when we hear of more departmental teams closing down.”

While recalling HBL’s outstanding track record over the past 44 years, Raqeeb observed it was a privilege to see a number of brilliant cricketers donning the bank’s colours for many a season.

“Javed Miandad made his Test debut after joining HBL who already had Liaquat Ali and Agha Zahid on the payroll. And then our team was blessed with an impressive group of players in different phases with most of them playing for the country. Abdul Qadir, Mohsin Khan, Azhar Khan, Arshad Pervez, Sultan Rana, Masood Iqbal, Zaheer Ahmed Sheikh [who came close to be picked for Pakistan] were followed by the likes of Aamir Sohail, Saleem Elahi, Kabir Khan, Hasan Raza, Naved Anjum etc,” Raqeeb reminded. “And then came the generation of Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Umar Gul, Ahmed Shehzad, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf and most recently Umar Akmal and Abid Ali.”

https://www.dawn.com/news/1473707/blow-to-departmental-cricket-as-hbl-disbands-long-serving-team

 

[Major]

In this era of cricket, players should be able to play all formats.

Anyway, who have the departments produced for the national team recently ? All of our recent national team products have come through the PSL (which I disagree with but that's another topic). So departments are even failing on that front.

Departments have made players. Problem is Inzamam and co are too lazy to go to the matches, they will select the tv matches pplayer which is the bulk of players in the national team comes from PSL.

Look, Departments are doing there job, its teh selectors who are not doing theres.

The SNGPL is one of the best departmental teams. It has made Rizwan, Adnan Akmal, Misbah, Umar akmal(use to be their player), Ajmal, Hafeez, even Azhar and Shafiq

 

[Hawkeye]

Those corrupt players will get them relegated to Grade 2, so they will be incentivized to play good players.
Not that hard to understand.

No, those corrupt/senior/TTFs are actually domestic bullies. And rule the tournaments.

It's a bit hard for you to understand how things are in domestic.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Make the quality of the pitches and stadia better. Invest money in the FC teams so they can get better facilities for training, rehab and coaching etc. The depts have the ones who have invested the most in FC system and ironically they are the ones to get the boot. Don't know IK's fascination of Aus cricket.
You should first try to upgrade the regional cricket system so they can provide their players good facilities and place them in good hands with good management skills rather than same old journalists ruling their regions for so many terms (*coughs* Shakil Sheikh). Regional associations are clearly unable to provide good facilities and pays to the players which is why most of the bigger names go to departmental teams.
Players have families to support, they will choose to go where they are provided better. It's more logical to hand over the regional associations to departments with the name of cities being the names while dept name being the sponsors.

But we have great minds like Haroon Rasheed seeing over the domestic cricket (Director of domestic cricket), the same guys in PCB who just keep on changing their posts when they fail miserably in their previous one.

Don't think Mani is a strong enough individual to destroy the monarchy and mafia system of regional associations and replace them with a better and just system.

 

[Khwaja78]

Extremely dangerous move which could threaten future cricket of Pakistan.

Imran Khan's stupid quest to borrow models from Scandinavia, blah-blah-blah and implement here is really ridiculous we are not Sweden.

How will players earn their livelihood if departments are closed? Shakeel Sheikh like individuals who only brought nepotism and corruption dominate regional associations. Half of his family plays in the association side how can you expect any promising cricketer to come? It would lead to Pakistani cricketers abandoning Pakistan and venturing elsewhere. The worst part is joke like Ehsan Mani who can't even convince his own family member is going to look after this.

Imran Khan already destroying economy, right now food inflation at worst levels. Now his favorites like Inzamam and Mani damaging Pakistan cricket also, shame.

 

[MenInG]

Before jumping around and looking for people to blame - Read above.

 

[JattMaula]

Before jumping around and looking for people to blame - Read above.

This is a letter of resignation. HBL is now just another advertising sponsor in t20 league.

 

[MenInG]

This is a letter of resignation. HBL is now just another advertising sponsor in t20 league.

True and they did what they could for Pakistan cricket.

 

[DRsohail]

UBL, ABL, now HBL ... and I think there was another bank team in past - MCBL (Muslim Commercial Bank Ltd.). Left is ZTBL, PIA, WAPDA, PTV, NBL, KRL and SGC (N/S) - at this rate, by 2025 most Corporate teams will be gone, therefore they should take a cut off time and start from fresh, scrapping Corporate teams, or may be a separate small league for Corporate - there is Corporate League both in IND & BD, but they don't play in National league any more.

So khan sb was right by rejecting pcb formula?

 

[Shafi]

Can anyone please explain the difference between departmental and regional cricket? How it is effecting our cricket?

 

[Abdullah719]

CDA withdraws team from PCDA withdraws team from Patron’s Trophy Grade-IIatron’s Trophy Grade-II

ISLAMABAD - In a complete u-turn from its earlier commitment, Capital Development Authority (CDA) has withdrawn its cricket team from participating in the forthcoming Patron’s Trophy Grade-II.

CDA, through its Sports Officer Chaudhry Shahzad Yaseen, informed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that due to financial constraints, CDA team should be considered as withdrawn from participation. “We have withdrawn our team due to financial constraints,” said a CDA cricket team player, who requested anonymity.

It is unfortunate that after shifting of sports and culture department from CDA to Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), MCI Mayor has withdrawn the team after issuing of draws of Patron’s Trophy Grade-II by PCB.

This bizarre withdrawal of team participation took place after CDA confirmed its participation last month. CDA, now MCI, has recruited more than two dozen cricketers over the period of time. So much so, some players have already given or being given plots as per policy of the authority in a bid to attract quality players.

The demobilization or withdrawal of CDA team from participation in a PCB tournament has cast doubts on the continuity of their services in CDA/MCI. It is learnt that players have been expressing their deep concern on the CDA’s non-sporting decision or opting for anti-sports policy.

In particular, MCI, under Mayor Ansar Aziz Sheikh, has largely assumed its role as an anti-sporting organization. MCI has already receiving flaks from Islooites for its policies turning the capital almost non-attractive city with problems being posed to its citizens and those visiting the capital.

It is hoped that Prime Minister Imran Khan will take notice and save the jobs of CDA cricket team players, who were appointed on the basis of sports, but they had to perform different roles already. If CDA teams are closed down in phases, where would hundreds of employees go.

CDA has also given employments to youth in different sports.

All the sportsmen are holding their breaths and hoping that their jobs will be saved. MCI Mayor has promised to provide funds form his own pocket. Now where all his tall claims and promises have vanished? One person’s negligence can cost hundreds of employees.

https://nation.com.pk/12-Apr-2019/c...tron-s-trophy-grade-iiatron-s-trophy-grade-ii