Improving the quality of Pakistan cricket versus the welfare of Pakistani domestic cricketers

[Abdullah719]

There's two sides to this argument.

One is that PCB have to do their utmost to improve the quality level of cricket in Pakistan. That means that only the top ~200 will get to play domestic cricket. The benefit of this is essentially that you get the cream of the crop playing domestic cricket, which improves standards. We're already seeing that at the domestic level. Runs and wickets look like they mean something now.

However, the other side of the argument is that cricket in Pakistan was not just a way for Pakistan to develop cricketers for the top level, but arguably provided a source of livelihood for many, mostly via departments.

Recently, a few stories have come out of former FC cricketers like Mohammad Waqas and Fazal Subhan now doing odd jobs such as providing driving services to make a living after departments being shut down.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Just got to know that some first class cricketers have started to drive Uber in Sialkot Due to unemployment.. like I said earlier more and more news will come about Departmental cricketers suffering from all over Pakistan...</p>— Faisal Iqbal فیصل اقبال (@FaisalIqbalCric) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaisalIqbalCric/status/1188370273709576192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The number of such stories are only going to increase.

Is it unfair on those cricketers who may have put a lot of time into cricket growing up, now being sidelined without potentially having any other life skills?

Now one way to look at this is that this is simply a case of survival of the fittest. In all likelihood, the cricketers who aren't part of the system anymore simply aren't good enough.

And another point of view is that the space for cricketers has gotten a lot more constricted in Pakistan after this move. With shrinking space for cricketers in the new system, it's possible that in a country with 220+ million people, we'll see a lot less people actually looking to play professional cricket, once they realise that it's suddenly become very difficult to get to that top level.

What are your thoughts on this issue?

 

[Markhor]

I sympathise with anyone going through such difficulties but the blunt truth is that not everybody who wants to be a cricketer can be a cricketer at the top level.

The purpose of First Class cricket is act as a filter so that the next generation of Pakistan international cricketers can be pinpointed, not to serve as a welfare state giving everybody an opportunity to make a living.

Again I feel for the likes of Mohammad Waqas and Fazal Subhan as a human being, but they possess average FC records and have no prospects of playing international cricket so surely they and many others should've seen the writing on the wall. For years we had a bloated domestic structure with far too many teams carrying far too much mediocrity, reducing the quality of competition and we've all seen the effects on the national team in the last 20 years.

Those ex-players like Javed Miandad (and his nephew) shedding tears for their beloved Departmental system should know the Departments were CUTTING BACK their sports investments and some even closed up their teams like UBL.

This Departmental system was only serving a small elite of players. Last season from the 160 departmental players, 57 of them had played no more than 2 FC games. So there were really about 100 cricketers enjoying all these supposed perks and privileges from departmental cricket ! In this new model, there'll be 192 FC players so in fact there'll be MORE opportunities for players to make a decent living.

 

[shah_1]

There was no need to end department cricket. Should have had a T20 or one day department tournament to keep the players earning.


Welfare of Pakistani players is only way to bring the best players. PCB don't have Rs 1billion every year to keep this system going

 

[aloo paratha]

Either you're good enough to fit in to the 12 teams (1st and 2nd XI's), or your not, simple as that. Domestic cricket doesn't exist to give people free money.

 

[aloo paratha]

To add on to my post above, it's not like we have so much talent that are so good that world class players are still missing out. Look at 2nd XI scorecards, a 40 year old Zulfiqar Babar is topping the charts, so if you can't even fit into the second XI's you're truly not good enough and need to find some other career.

 

[shah_1]

There's two sides to this argument.

One is that PCB have to do their utmost to improve the quality level of cricket in Pakistan. That means that only the top ~200 will get to play domestic cricket. The benefit of this is essentially that you get the cream of the crop playing domestic cricket, which improves standards. We're already seeing that at the domestic level. Runs and wickets look like they mean something now.

However, the other side of the argument is that cricket in Pakistan was not just a way for Pakistan to develop cricketers for the top level, but arguably provided a source of livelihood for many, mostly via departments.

Recently, a few stories have come out of former FC cricketers like Mohammad Waqas and Fazal Subhan now doing odd jobs such as providing driving services to make a living after departments being shut down.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Just got to know that some first class cricketers have started to drive Uber �� in Sialkot Due to unemployment.. like I said earlier more and more news will come about Departmental cricketers �� suffering from all over Pakistan...</p>— Faisal Iqbal������ فیصل اقبال (@FaisalIqbalCric) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaisalIqbalCric/status/1188370273709576192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The number of such stories are only going to increase.

Is it unfair on those cricketers who may have put a lot of time into cricket growing up, now being sidelined without potentially having any other life skills?

Now one way to look at this is that this is simply a case of survival of the fittest. In all likelihood, the cricketers who aren't part of the system anymore simply aren't good enough.

And another point of view is that the space for cricketers has gotten a lot more constricted in Pakistan after this move. With shrinking space for cricketers in the new system, it's possible that in a country with 220+ million people, we'll see a lot less people actually looking to play professional cricket, once they realise that it's suddenly become very difficult to get to that top level.

What are your thoughts on this issue?

This will happen

No one from middle class or above will ask their sons to play cricket. It is not worth the risk. You leave your studies, no fall back option if you are dropped from domestic team after 3 to 4 years. Where will that cricketer go? It is better that he choses to work hard enough to do CA or any other qood qualification to earn good salary

 

[Savak]

People in the West do odd jobs to support themselves while studying, trying to improve their qualifications or as means to provide for their family.

Why is it beneath our domestic cricketers to do the same? Playing domestic cricket, getting handouts via departments for which you are not qualified for is not a right

 

[Savak]

This will happen

No one from middle class or above will ask their sons to play cricket. It is not worth the risk. You leave your studies, no fall back option if you are dropped from domestic team after 3 to 4 years. Where will that cricketer go? It is better that he choses to work hard enough to do CA or any other qood qualification to earn good salary

Or like India why can't our youngsters balance studies and sports together? Look at the Indian Cricket team, every player has a degree or qualification. In the West students do part time or even full time odd jobs while studying in colleges and even raising families.

I am sorry but this is life

 

[Savak]

My other question is that if the departments were so good at providing monetary and other support to the players, why has the skill level of these players and the fitness levels of these players lagged behind Indian players?

 

[Titan24]

I sympathise with anyone going through such difficulties but the blunt truth is that not everybody who wants to be a cricketer can be a cricketer at the top level.

The purpose of First Class cricket is act as a filter so that the next generation of Pakistan international cricketers can be pinpointed, not to serve as a welfare state giving everybody an opportunity to make a living.

Again I feel for the likes of Mohammad Waqas and Fazal Subhan as a human being, but they possess average FC records and have no prospects of playing international cricket so surely they and many others should've seen the writing on the wall. For years we had a bloated domestic structure with far too many teams carrying far too much mediocrity, reducing the quality of competition and we've all seen the effects on the national team in the last 20 years.

Those ex-players like Javed Miandad (and his nephew) shedding tears for their beloved Departmental system should know the Departments were CUTTING BACK their sports investments and some even closed up their teams like UBL.

This Departmental system was only serving a small elite of players. Last season from the 160 departmental players, 57 of them had played no more than 2 FC games. So there were really about 100 cricketers enjoying all these supposed perks and privileges from departmental cricket ! In this new model, there'll be 192 FC players so in fact there'll be MORE opportunities for players to make a decent living.

Either you're good enough to fit in to the 12 teams (1st and 2nd XI's), or your not, simple as that. Domestic cricket doesn't exist to give people free money.

People in the West do odd jobs to support themselves while studying, trying to improve their qualifications or as means to provide for their family.

Why is it beneath our domestic cricketers to do the same? Playing domestic cricket, getting handouts via departments for which you are not qualified for is not a right

Well put by you guys and it cant be put in a better way. While its tough for some of the cricketers who missed out in the new structure but the main job of PCB is to make sure that Pakistan cricket team and cricket in Pakistan as a whole progresses. Just like any organization the aim has to be to keep the organization going and make it better and sometimes tough decisions e.g downsizing and structural changes are needed to be taken.

 

[aloo paratha]

Well put by you guys and it cant be put in a better way. While its tough for some of the cricketers who missed out in the new structure but the main aim of PCB is to make sure that Pakistan cricket team and cricket in Pakistan as a whole progress. Just like any organization the aim has to be to keep the organization going and make it better and sometimes tough decisions e.g downsizing and structural changes are needed to be taken.

Exactly. I don't even know why this is an argument, if I was applying to work at a company and I wasn't good enough, everybody would tell me to improve, why is it any different for FC cricket?

 

[Abdullah719]

This will happen

No one from middle class or above will ask their sons to play cricket. It is not worth the risk. You leave your studies, no fall back option if you are dropped from domestic team after 3 to 4 years. Where will that cricketer go? It is better that he choses to work hard enough to do CA or any other qood qualification to earn good salary

I'm more concerned about cricketers from economically challenged backgrounds.

Domestic cricket will eventually become more lucrative as cricket comes back to Pakistan and the situation in the country improves with sponsorships etc., specially if Pakistan's economy can get back on track. If domestic cricket eventually pays good money (not the current amount) then middle class and richer kids will be able to afford to chase the dream. Specially with the amounts that can be earned from international cricket and T20 leagues.

But for people from poorer backgrounds, it'll be a do or die situation. When players and their families realise how tough the competition is and how difficult it will be to get to the top level (it was already challenging with the lack of merit-based decisions at the lower levels like clubs etc.) then we may see more people opting for safer choices rather than going for the dream; where if you're good enough to be in the top ~200 players in the country, you'll make it, but if you're not, you're out in the cold.

 

[Savak]

Well put by you guys and it cant be put in a better way. While its tough for some of the cricketers who missed out in the new structure but the main job of PCB is to make sure that Pakistan cricket team and cricket in Pakistan as a whole progresses. Just like any organization the aim has to be to keep the organization going and make it better and sometimes tough deciswions e.g downsizing and structural changes are needed to be taken.

This is what Wasim Khan said in a recent interview. That the whole purpose of the domestic cricket revamp was to improve the quality of domestic cricket in Pakistan and that the critics need to decide what is more important, the quality of domestic cricket in Pakistan or continuing to provide handouts to some extremely poor quality domestic cricketers.

People do not understand it right now but the 6 team model is proving to be a master stroke already and the PCB has professionalized everything by requiring the team captain, coach, key players to give a press conference at the end of the days play. It has also become easier for the news reporters to keep track of a condensed group of players in a 6 team model and if you tune into Geo Super or PTV Sports every day there is a discussion of domestic games, top performers, mistakes in tactics made by the opposition players, captains, coaches, in team selection and news reporters grill the captains, coaches for selections and decisions. Just watch Waheed Khan's confrontation with Azam Khan over the selection of Anwar Ali over Tabish Khan in the national T20 competition

Things like this would not have been possible in the previous 16-24-32 combined Department and Regional competition

 

[Abdullah719]

Well put by you guys and it cant be put in a better way. While its tough for some of the cricketers who missed out in the new structure but the main job of PCB is to make sure that Pakistan cricket team and cricket in Pakistan as a whole progresses. Just like any organization the aim has to be to keep the organization going and make it better and sometimes tough decisions e.g downsizing and structural changes are needed to be taken.

I am completely on board with the changes, though I feel they could have been staggered out a bit to soften the blow.

But interested in hearing other viewpoints.

Most of the media members who are against the domestic cricket system revamp are extremely biased and/or have an axe to grind, so their arguments are very unappealing.

 

[Titan24]

This will happen

No one from middle class or above will ask their sons to play cricket. It is not worth the risk. You leave your studies, no fall back option if you are dropped from domestic team after 3 to 4 years. Where will that cricketer go? It is better that he choses to work hard enough to do CA or any other qood qualification to earn good salary

Competition is in every field irrespective of what degree you get so why there shouldnt be competition in cricket? If you somehow get in the top 200 cricketers of the country than you will earn as good or rather better salaries than you would have in any other fields and that too at a younger age. Think about Nassem Shah or Hasnain at 17-19 years of age earning 2 mln to 2.5 mln a year (Including salaries, prize money) and match fees.

If that doesnt attract someone with passion to play cricket and doesnt make his parents to allow him to take it as a profession than that someone wouldnt have chosen it as a profession irrespective of players being 192 or 400-500. As nobody can understand his talent this much that he will know I can get in top 400 or so but not in 192, if he has to analyze this much than he wasnt talented enough to start with.

 

[Savak]

The onus of the players having a back up option in case they fail to achieve good careers as professional cricketers is on them, do an odd job, put yourself in a school, college, training course like everyone does so elsewhere in the world

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Ending departmental cricket is beyond pathetic.

Players not only earn a resonalble amount of money but also have health and other benefits not only for themselves but their families (wife, kids, parents) too.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Anyone supporting this idea seriously has 0 knowledge about Pakistani middle and lower class society and what they have to face in daily life.

 

[Titan24]

The onus of the players having a back up option in case they fail to achieve good careers as professional cricketers is on them, do an odd job, put yourself in a school, college, training course like everyone does so elsewhere in the world

Exactly there are countless such examples. Recent ones is Fekette of Australia who plays for Tasmania, he was an accountant before starting as a professional cricketer, Saeed Anwer and Anil Kumble were Engineers, Misbah Ul Haq and Sohaib Maqsood(If I am correct) have done MBAs while Time Paine almost started working for Kookubura company before becoming captain of Aus.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

I think they should continue the department cricket in the form of grade ii cricket so that people can still see cricket as a good enough career to pursue if they do not see it then they will not pursue it and we won't be able to get quality cricketers in near future.
Performing players in grade II cricket can get contracts for 1st or 2nd XI regional teams, To be honest even though the regional teams and comepetive 6 teams sounds good on paper but one can't hide the fact that it will make Cricket a not so feasible option for our next generation

 

[Muhammad Saad]

We are not some western country where the state feed off the unemployed person.

 

[Savak]

Ending departmental cricket is beyond pathetic.

Players not only earn a resonalble amount of money but also have health and other benefits not only for themselves but their families (wife, kids, parents) too.

The interests of Pakistan Cricket come first, can't have 500 players and 32 teams playing domestic cricket. The PCB had been pleading with the departments to sponsor the regions and take over their ownership, administration, they refused and now have to suffer the consequences. If anything these players should be angry at the departments themselves

 

[Savak]

Anyone supporting this idea seriously has 0 knowledge about Pakistani middle and lower class society and what they have to face in daily life.

It's any different in the West?

 

[Savak]

It's these attitude of entitlement which is why once profitable global reputable entities like PIA is now bankrupt

 

[Savak]

I think they should continue the department cricket in the form of grade ii cricket so that people can still see cricket as a good enough career to pursue if they do not see it then they will not pursue it and we won't be able to get quality cricketers in near future.
Performing players in grade II cricket can get contracts for 1st or 2nd XI regional teams, To be honest even though the regional teams and comepetive 6 teams sounds good on paper but one can't hide the fact that it will make Cricket a not so feasible option for our next generation

To the contrary, if someone is really really good, he will know he can make it. Quality cannot be hidden for long

 

[Savak]

In fact it's about time that Pakistani Cricket falls into the hands of educated class, middle class, upper middle class, elite class again. Enough of the Sarfaraz type unbearable blabblers

 

[Muhammad Saad]

To the contrary, if someone is really really good, he will know he can make it. Quality cannot be hidden for long

No harm in having more employed cricketers if it does not come at the expense of quality competition. This will just inspire younger players to pursue cricket thinking that if he does not get in to the regional sides he can still play department cricket and feed off his family.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

To the contrary, if someone is really really good, he will know he can make it. Quality cannot be hidden for long

That's not how things work here, even if you are a gem of a talent if you don't get noticed by some influencial person chances are you ain't going to make it even in to the regional sides.

 

[Savak]

No harm in having more employed cricketers if it does not come at the expense of quality competition. This will just inspire younger players to pursue cricket thinking that if he does not get in to the regional sides he can still play department cricket and feed off his family.

Like I said, blame the departments, the PCB gave them the option to sponsor and take over the regional teams, they refused. Now the players and departments have suffered

 

[Savak]

That's not how things work here, even if you are a gem of a talent if you don't get noticed by some influencial person chances are you ain't going to make it even in to the regional sides.

Then the person should work hard towards developing his connections and networking skills. It works like this in the West as well where its your skills, talent, who you know and your integrity which determines how well you do

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Then the person should work hard towards developing his connections and networking skills. It works like this in the West as well where its your skills, talent, who you know and your integrity which determines how well you do

OK this is pretty dumb, how a village guy with amazing talent but no networking skills going to make it? Unless he bribes the regional selectors what other options does he have?

I personally think they should give some incentives to the selectors and scouts to find a rare talent.

 

[MMHS]

There is a word, “constraint”, which is the mother of all problems. If resource was unlimited, then world could have been like heaven. If PCB had enough riches, could have paid hefty match fees & a fat central contract to even club players - 10,000+ cricketers guaranteed of $10,000 per year and may be $100/match ...... unfortunately, it’s not the case, so we’ll have to prioritise and make sure that the best are at least taken proper care off, so that they can focus on their game dedicatedly.

These sort of “emotional” tweets needs to be responded immediately with logic & nipped in the bud of all such politics, so that brunches don’t grow around it. In professional life someone earns even 25 times more than some of his colleagues, but both works for similar hours, in same department.... he spends his weekends in golf courses, while the other guy might be doing odd jobs in weekends to pay his bills - should we start tweeting for that?

I can feel sorry for the guy driving Uber, but it only tells two truths - 1. he isn’t good enough to be among top 200 cricketer and 2. He is not skilled/qualified enough to find a better alternative than driving Uber. If this guy was earning more in past, then that actually was a system flaw - otherwise PAK’s cricket shouldn’t have gone down to this free fall. That Corporate model of domestic cricket wasn’t working for sure, so it demanded a change - now this new model has to be given enough time; if it doesn’t work, may be they’ll have to think for something else again.

PAK’s senior/retired cricketers have to make peace with it and have to accept that this change was necessary because previous one was a failure.

 

[Savak]

OK this is pretty dumb, how a village guy with amazing talent but no networking skills going to make it? Unless he bribes the regional selectors what other options does he have?

I personally think they should give some incentives to the selectors and scouts to find a rare talent.

If the village guy is an outstanding talent, he will make it. Shadab Khan made it inspite of coming from a poor background. This is about improving Pakistan Cricket and not giving undeserved handouts to poor quality players

 

[Muhammad Saad]

If the village guy is an outstanding talent, he will make it. Shadab Khan made it inspite of coming from a poor background. This is about improving Pakistan Cricket and not giving undeserved handouts to poor quality players

Only if he catches the eye of some sincere and influential person otherwise NO, you do know that there is no such things as merit based selection here and now closing the pool of cricketers to almost half will do more bad than good. And most importantly you are deterring the future generation from cricket, some times you have to pay the undeserving ones to get the deserving ones. You do have to use a bait to catch a fish right?

 

[Savak]

Only if he catches the eye of some sincere and influential person otherwise NO, you do know that there is no such things as merit based selection here and now closing the pool of cricketers to almost half will do more bad than good. And most importantly you are deterring the future generation from cricket, some times you have to pay the undeserving ones to get the deserving ones. You do have to use a bait to catch a fish right?

Where was the merit in the previous system then? Why did the skill levels and fitness levels of these handsomely rewarded departmental players remain far behind the Indians?

 

[Saj]

Speaking with a player today who said many have lost jobs, are not playing cricket any more and even those playing in the new system are not happy.

 

[Savak]

Speaking with a player today who said many have lost jobs, are not playing cricket any more and even those playing in the new system are not happy.

Surely we cannot be advocating for the previous failed system to continue. Change and restructuring is not easy and there will be short term pain.

I can guarantee that we will see the fruits of this 6 team high quality structure in the long run. In fact I am seeing it already in the press conferences, daily discussions on domestic cricket selections and decisions already on the TV channels

 

[chacha kashmiri]

Arshad Khan comes to mind

The pakistani kolpak is on the horizon
We have lost the likes of khawaja and owais shah and imran tahir already
The likes of mushtaq and danish lost the peak years of their cricket not playing international cricket

I can foresee some of the talented youngsters and second xi cricketers going abroad to play club cricket

 

[Savak]

Arshad Khan comes to mind

The pakistani kolpak is on the horizon
We have lost the likes of khawaja and owais shah and imran tahir already
The likes of mushtaq and danish lost the peak years of their cricket not playing international cricket

I can foresee some of the talented youngsters and second xi cricketers going abroad to play club cricket

Khawaja lived most of his life in Australia. Owais Shah moved to England at a very young age and in any case was a mediocre cricketer. Imran Tahir was hard done but his hardly the example to use given that he could not get an opportunity inspite of the modern of handouts via departments existing.

If a player is really talented and very good, he should be able to be among the top 200 cricketers playing domestic cricket.

I would like to see the domestic performances and stats of these players for a decent amount of time who are raising a hue and cry over having to drive ubers

 

[chacha kashmiri]

Khawaja lived most of his life in Australia. Owais Shah moved to England at a very young age and in any case was a mediocre cricketer. Imran Tahir was hard done but his hardly the example to use given that he could not get an opportunity inspite of the modern of handouts via departments existing.

If a player is really talented and very good, he should be able to be among the top 200 cricketers playing domestic cricket.

I would like to see the domestic performances and stats of these players for a decent amount of time who are raising a hue and cry over having to drive ubers

Look at the likes of Karachi where cricket is fast becoming the number two sport
In Kashmir less and less people are playing cricket

The department system is centred around Punjab and it seems like cricket will dwindle down to only 200 elite cricketers in Pakistan who have come through private school and army schools and only get fast tracked if they have come through the academies

 

[Savak]

Look at the likes of Karachi where cricket is fast becoming the number two sport
In Kashmir less and less people are playing cricket

The department system is centred around Punjab and it seems like cricket will dwindle down to only 200 elite cricketers in Pakistan who have come through private school and army schools and only get fast tracked if they have come through the academies

If these 200 elite cricketers are the best available in the country then what's wrong with it? I refuse to believe in today's age of social media, electronic media and YouTube channels that an extraordinary talent will be hard done by regardless of whether he comes from a solid background or not.

The fact of the matter is that our previously existing domestic structure including departments were not producing quality players for a long time and a lot of these departmental players were averaging horribly with the bat or ball and were playing well past their due date

Frankly speaking it is about time that Cricket in Pakistan returns back to the 60's, 70's where Cricket becomes an elite sport again where we start having well polished, groomed, modern cricketers. If a poor cricketer has world class talent, in today's age of electronic, social media and YouTube channels he will be hard to ignore. I am sick and tired of unrefined cricketers with Sarfaraz type blabbering and Saad Altaf type pot bellies

 

[Bewal Express]

This is a very difficult issue, but FC should only be played by people that are at the top of their profession. The Dept bred unfit cricketers who had little interest in trying to improve. The PCB do owe a duty of care to the ex cricketers and should support with retraining etc.

 

[azimiqbal]

I do feel sympathy for cricketers who have lost there job, but domestic cricket is there to provide players to play for Pakistan and not there to provide jobs.

Saying that I do believe our current system does lack merit and until selection is based upon merit we can have 6 teams or 100 we are never going to improve.

I would also like to see a few things happen to improve our cricket;

1) free health insurance for players and there family's for every player playing domestic cricket.

2) monthly salaries and match fees too increase, I would suggest first class match fess to be much higher then any other format so we can encourage players to play red ball cricket and not just PSL or t-20 leagues.

3) Regarding Centeral contracts, only players playing test cricket should be awarded A contracts, as again we want players playing the longer format of the game.

4) Removing the limit of 83 overs per innings for our u-19’s. At this tender age you want our batsman to develop and get use too playing long innings.

5) if we are playing first class cricket to prepare players for test cricket, surely we should have first class matches for 5 days, surely it would only improve bowlers and batsman both mentally and physically. It would teach bowlers how to bowl on a day 5 pitch and batsman how to bat on the 5th day pitch.

 

[Savak]

I do feel sympathy for cricketers who have lost there job, but domestic cricket is there to provide players to play for Pakistan and not there to provide jobs.

Saying that I do believe our current system does lack merit and until selection is based upon merit we can have 6 teams or 100 we are never going to improve.

I would also like to see a few things happen to improve our cricket;

1) free health insurance for players and there family's for every player playing domestic cricket.

2) monthly salaries and match fees too increase, I would suggest first class match fess to be much higher then any other format so we can encourage players to play red ball cricket and not just PSL or t-20 leagues.

3) Regarding Centeral contracts, only players playing test cricket should be awarded A contracts, as again we want players playing the longer format of the game.

4) Removing the limit of 83 overs per innings for our u-19’s. At this tender age you want our batsman to develop and get use too playing long innings.

5) if we are playing first class cricket to prepare players for test cricket, surely we should have first class matches for 5 days, surely it would only improve bowlers and batsman both mentally and physically. It would teach bowlers how to bowl on a day 5 pitch and batsman how to bat on the 5th day pitch.

The PCB has said that the current pay scale is only a start, once the structure is up and running and when sponsorship comes in, everything will improve later on

 

[Muhammad Saad]

[MENTION=2501]Savak[/MENTION]
A highly talented test ready prospect like Sameen Gul couldnt find a place in a regional side tells you alot about merit based selections , This system without the presence of Dept cricket will only result in younger players interest dwindling.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

This system can only work if you have a proper merit based selections or the presence of Dept cricket as well.

 

[shah_1]

This system can only work if you have a proper merit based selections or the presence of Dept cricket as well.

KPK coach is allergic to youngsters. This system is bound to not do well with merit not being followed.

Nabi Gul, Sameen Gul, Zeeshan Asnraf and many others should have been in first XI of national T20 cup but seniors and TFF were preferred.

Umer Khan was warming the bench in the national T20.

Australian cricket has merit and sense of fairness, when they see a talented cricketer that could represent Australia is given a push ahead of others.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

KPK coach is allergic to youngsters. This system is bound to not do well with merit not being followed.

Nabi Gul, Sameen Gul, Zeeshan Asnraf and many others should have been in first XI of national T20 cup but seniors and TFF were preferred.

Umer Khan was warming the bench in the national T20.

Australian cricket has merit and sense of fairness, when they see a talented cricketer that could represent Australia is given a push ahead of others.

All the players you have mentioned are already identified as talented cricketers and yet they couldnt find a spot in the playing XI , just imagine about players who are talented but are yet to be identified??? Surely they will pursue another career instead of cricket when they find that there is no financial motives or the chances of getting selected in the primary XI.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Having department cricket will at least make them continue to play with the hope that somebody will identify them in near future while at the same time they can continue to feed off their families.

While at the same time some undeserving cricketers will also get their monthly payouts but that is the part and parcel of the game.

 

[Savak]

[MENTION=2501]Savak[/MENTION]
A highly talented test ready prospect like Sameen Gul couldnt find a place in a regional side tells you alot about merit based selections , This system without the presence of Dept cricket will only result in younger players interest dwindling.

Sameen Gul is not the only talented pacer around, there are others as well. It is up to him to work hard to get ahead in the pack.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Sameen Gul is not the only talented pacer around, there are others as well. It is up to him to work hard to get ahead in the pack.

isnt he the highest wicket taker this year already? what can he do else?

 

[shah_1]

All the players you have mentioned are already identified as talented cricketers and yet they couldnt find a spot in the playing XI , just imagine about players who are talented but are yet to be identified??? Surely they will pursue another career instead of cricket when they find that there is no financial motives or the chances of getting selected in the primary XI.

Dec and January is free

Just have a one day department tournament in that period, so kids can play and earn something. Keep them away from being part time cricketers. No is asking to abolish this system.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Dec and January is free

Just have a one day department tournament in that period, so kids can play and earn something. Keep them away from being part time cricketers. No is asking to abolish this system.

Exactly ! I would want a FC dept league as well , T20 can be omitted.

 

[Savak]

Does anyone remember the U19 pacer Jamshed Ahmed, one of the heroes of the 2016 U19 WC squad? He could not get a game for PIA because there was just too much competition in the team but he refused to leave PIA because he could not afford to quit his job and take on the risk of joining another departmental team.

He chose his job at the expense of his cricket career. He may have been forced into taking a life changing gamble if the departments were not there

 

[shah_1]

isnt he the highest wicket taker this year already? what can he do else?

He needs to increase his age by 5 to 6 on paper.

 

[Savak]

isnt he the highest wicket taker this year already? what can he do else?

Maybe increase his pace. Musa and Naseem got the nod because of their extra pace

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Does anyone remember the U19 pacer Jamshed Ahmed, one of the heroes of the 2016 U19 WC squad? He could not get a game for PIA because there was just too much competition in the team but he refused to leave PIA because he could not afford to quit his job and take on the risk of joining another departmental team.

He chose his job at the expense of his cricket career. He may have been forced into taking a life changing gamble if the departments were not there

He wasn't good enough , bowls in the late 120s with some swing thats it , I am happy that he atleast able to feed off his family with some easy money instead of doing some hard labour.

 

[shah_1]

Exactly ! I would want a FC dept league as well , T20 can be omitted.

First class takes a lot of time, there is no window for that.

One day department tournament and Ramazan T20 night department tournament should be held every year

 

[Savak]

Exactly ! I would want a FC dept league as well , T20 can be omitted.

Nope. No more handouts and departments. These departments are free to sponsor regional teams but will rightfully no longer have the right to field their own teams

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Maybe increase his pace. Musa and Naseem got the nod because of their extra pace

He is taller than both of them by quiet a few inches so the 5k difference is nullified.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

First class takes a lot of time, there is no window for that.

One day department tournament and Ramazan T20 night department tournament should be held every year

The point of dept cricket is that they gives job to the cricketers whole 12 months , so only having a One Day league will not justify their salaries.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Nope. No more handouts and departments. These departments are free to sponsor regional teams but will rightfully no longer have the right to field their own teams

And what will be their interests in doing so? Will you sponsor a team with no involvement in selection and your branding?

 

[Savak]

He wasn't good enough , bowls in the late 120s with some swing thats it , I am happy that he atleast able to feed off his family with some easy money instead of doing some hard labour.

Easy money is my objection. This easy money is the main reason why our govt institutions have gone to the dogs and why our people have developed a sense of entitlement rather than appreciation for hard earned money from hard labour

 

[shah_1]

The point of dept cricket is that they gives job to the cricketers whole 12 months , so only having a One Day league will not justify their salaries.

Their salaries will reduce but at least they will earn something with T20 and one day cricket.

 

[Savak]

And what will be their interests in doing so? Will you sponsor a team with no involvement in selection and your branding?

The PCB offered the department teams to take over the regional sides, their administration and include their brand name on the team. They still refused.

If anything, the affected department players should be ****** off at the departments themselves

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Easy money is my objection. This easy money is the main reason why our govt institutions have gone to the dogs and why our people have developed a sense of entitlement rather than appreciation for hard earned money from hard labour

Why you can't understand the logic , you have to aboard free loaders as well in order to find a real gem of a player , Isn't diamond are hidden in coal ores?

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Their salaries will reduce but at least they will earn something with T20 and one day cricket.

Why can't have a proper FC and One day leagues and term it as Grade II cricket , It can serve as a nursery for the main regional sides with more players earning enough to feed off their families?

 

[Muhammad Saad]

[MENTION=2501]Savak[/MENTION],

If you can't digest the freeloader approach then the only thing which can save Pak Cricket from a big disaster is to have an actual merit based selections , otherwise there is no point in this system.

The 200 or so contracted players will have to be the best 200 players available in the country and not 50% of them doesn't deserve to be in the top 500.

 

[Savak]

He is taller than both of them by quiet a few inches so the 5k difference is nullified.

I can assure you that the difference in pace is not 5k but at least 10-15 k. No point in being Allam Chana if you are operating in the 128-135 km/hr range

 

[Muhammad Saad]

I can assure you that the difference in pace is not 5k but at least 10-15 k. No point in being Allam Chana if you are operating in the 128-135 km/hr range

Then you mustn't have seen Sameen bowl yet , He operates around 137-142K range with a top speed of 145k , I don't think that Naseem and Musa are much quicker than him at all.

Even 5k seems alot , They are probably are 3/4ks quicker than Sameen on avg.

 

[shah_1]

For a system to work

1)Young kids trusting that it is merit based pathway to reach to the top
2)Quality cricket infrastructure
3) Domestic cricketers feeling financially secure in the system

India has all three points covered that is why they are the best team in the world. The number of FC teams don't matter

 

[Savak]

For a system to work

1)Young kids trusting that it is merit based pathway to reach to the top
2)Quality cricket infrastructure
3) Domestic cricketers feeling financially secure in the system

India has all three points covered that is why they are the best team in the world. The number of FC teams don't matter

India has a population of 1 billion plus. Pakistan has a population of 220 million. The number of teams Pakistan has right now is exactly in line with its population

 

[Muhammad Saad]

For a system to work

1)Young kids trusting that it is merit based pathway to reach to the top
2)Quality cricket infrastructure
3) Domestic cricketers feeling financially secure in the system

India has all three points covered that is why they are the best team in the world. The number of FC teams don't matter

Lack of this point alone is enough to destroy our cricket.

 

[shah_1]

India has a population of 1 billion plus. Pakistan has a population of 220 million. The number of teams Pakistan has right now is exactly in line with its population

Again you don't understand the point

The number of teams don't matter if you don't cover three points. The system has to cover these three points and it will work regardless it is 6 or 16 teams

 

[Master Blaster]

Happy times ahead for the elites...

Less the number of players trying to make a life by actually playing cricket on the ground(read leeching and freeloading), more the money left for the elites in PCB holding fancy positions to get a much deserved pay hike for sitting in their ac rooms and do nothing...

Ppl calling Imm the dim should shut up realise that he is an elite placed by the elite for the elite...

 

[Muhammad Saad]

To be honest the previous system was a failure as well with lots of old FC cricketers sticking on in the name of employment , but the scary thing is that current avg of these 200 elite cricketers are appalling as well , so currently this system is not much of an upgrade when it comes to freeloading.

 

[shah_1]

To be honest the previous system was a failure as well with lots of old FC cricketers sticking on in the name of employment , but the scary thing is that current avg of these 200 elite cricketers are appalling as well , so currently this system is not much of an upgrade when it comes to freeloading.

The last system was a huge failure, the idea of mixing department and regional together caused so much damage to Pakistan cricket.

I always supported regional cricket being the solution but department should have never been abolished until PCB found way to pay the domestic players well.

 

[Danyaalr01]

The last system was a huge failure, the idea of mixing department and regional together caused so much damage to Pakistan cricket.

I always supported regional cricket being the solution but department should have never been abolished until PCB found way to pay the domestic players well.

Maybe they could have done it so the departments sponsor the current teams. E.g. WAPDA sponsors central Punjab. PCB still selects the players and the coaches for the teams, but the deparments pay the cricketers.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Maybe they could have done it so the departments sponsor the current teams. E.g. WAPDA sponsors central Punjab. PCB still selects the players and the coaches for the teams, but the deparments pay the cricketers.

Again why would they do that , whats they going to get?

 

[Abdullah719]

KPK coach is allergic to youngsters. This system is bound to not do well with merit not being followed.

Nabi Gul, Sameen Gul, Zeeshan Asnraf and many others should have been in first XI of national T20 cup but seniors and TFF were preferred.

Umer Khan was warming the bench in the national T20.

Australian cricket has merit and sense of fairness, when they see a talented cricketer that could represent Australia is given a push ahead of others.

Zeeshan Ashraf plays for Southern Punjab.

Sameen Gul is really not a great T20 bowler, his economy rate was 10 in the 2nd XI tournament. Would still take him any day of the week over Imran Khan jr. who is one of the worst 'pacers' I've ever seen. Having said that, Sameen should be playing every FC match unless he's unfit or injured.

Feel sorry for Umer Khan, he's barely played any matches this season.