UAE players slam poor playing conditions at Southend Ground in Karachi

[Abdullah719]

Members of the UAE national team have slammed the poor conditions at one of the venues for the Asian Emerging Nations Cup in Karachi, leaving the Pakistan Cricket Board on the defensive.

UAE, who were in the run for a place in the semi-finals, were knocked out on Sunday after winter rains ruled out any play at the Southend club in the Defence Housing Society in Karachi.

“Never mind the security but there are more reasons to why international cricket has overlooked this part of the world when it comes to international cricket. Such a shame honestly and embarrassing the way the real PCB have dealt with it,” tweeted a member of the UAE squad.

In other tweets as well Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza and Shahzad of the UAE team expressed their disappointment over the lack of facilities at the Southend club.

“We at Emirates cricket sat in the sun for more than four hours waiting for the pitch to get dry because of the club level covers at the so called “Test” venue. The real PCB 20 minutes of rain ruined our chances,” tweeted Raza.

“It is a real shame we were denied the game because of poor facilities,” said another tweet.

A UAE player also posted pictures of the wet pitch conditions saying “spot the pitch and it is a joke”.

An official of the PCB said that the Southend club was a private ground and PCB didn’t manage it. “Rains at this time of the season were unexpected but yes the ground staff should have been prepared for all eventuality.” Southend, where a Test match was held in 1993 against Zimbabwe, has hosted other tour matches against international teams as well but on Sunday a spell of rain for 20 minutes left the pitch and some parts of the outfield soggy and wet.

And with no super sopper machine or proper equipment available, the ground staff were unable to dry the ground for the crucial match between UAE and Hong Kong.

The PCB also hosted matches at the National Stadium where they were no problems.

Pakistan hosted matches of one group of the Asian Emerging Nations Cup after India refused to tour Pakistan for security reasons. The other group matches are being held in Colombo.

PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani, who was in the city to watch the matches and meet the teams, didn’t react on criticism from UAE players.

https://m.hindustantimes.com/cricke...karachi/story-REEfXTWy0QeLAnLG9AGa2N_amp.html

 

[topspin]

UAE players live in more luxury, so this doesn't surprise me.

 

[CricketDon]

UAE players live in more luxury, so this doesn't surprise me.

Their is a difference between lecture and necessity. Basic equipment to deal with a wet outfield is a necessity not a luxury.

Fact of the matter is even Pakistan’s best grounds are poor both aesthetically and In terms of facilities.

 

[Josh]

UAE players live in more luxury, so this doesn't surprise me.

Their criticism is valid man, they could have gone further but the rain denied them the chance. This is very bad management by PCB.

 

[Hitman]

“Never mind the security but there are more reasons to why international cricket has overlooked this part of the world when it comes to international cricket. Such a shame honestly and embarrassing the way the real PCB have dealt with it,” tweeted a member of the UAE squad.

This isn't going to do down well.

 

[Donal Cozzie]

Seems fairly apparent the PCB dumped these two sides in a substandard ground because they're "minnow" sides.

For a board desperately seeking to reignite international cricket in the country, it is a staggeringly incompetent move. How the hell is there zero drying equipment at a cricket ground?

 

[JattMaula]

This is embarrassing beyond belief. Associate players shaming PCB in public like this.

 

[Angrez Pakistani]

Too bad PCB can’t send a show cause notice to them. They aren’t too big on criticism.

 

[gazza619]

Truly embarrasing. In a way its good its happend and shown us the true face of our management skills. We can only learn from this.

 

[Abdullah719]

UAE captain Rohan Mustafa among three players suspended for eight weeks by Emirates Cricket Board

The Emirates Cricket Board have fined and suspended three players for critical comments they made on social media during the Emerging Teams Asia Cup earlier this month.

Rohan Mustafa, the UAE captain, as well as Ahmed Raza and Rameez Shahzad, the two longest-serving players in the national team, have been barred from playing international cricket for eight weeks.

It means they will miss the planned home limited-overs series against Nepal next month.

“Emirates Cricket Board has confirmed it has completed a disciplinary investigation relating to an alleged violation of its Player’s Code of Conduct, and use of social media following a recent incident during the Asian Cricket Council Emerging Teams Asia Cup,” the statement read.

“ECB concluded that three players, Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza and Rameez Shahzad, had violated its Code of Conduct and requirements for the use of social media.

“As a result, each of the players have been suspended from international cricket for a period of eight weeks, fined and warned about their future conduct.

“ECB wishes to make clear that it takes the conduct and discipline of its players very seriously, and will not make any further comment on this matter.”

The UAE were on the brink of qualifying for the semi-finals of the eight-team competition in Karachi earlier in December.

However, their chances were scuppered when well placed in the final pool match against Hong Kong, after rain meant no result could be achieved.

The rain shower had been relatively brief, but the pitch was deemed unplayable after water had seeped under the covers at the Southend Stadium in Karachi.

The players took to social media to vent their frustrations, and were critical of the tournament’s organisation in the process.

Mustafa wrote in a tweet, “I am really sorry to say but we are out because of poor facility at the ground,” while Raza said there were “club-level covers at the so called ‘Test’ venue".

Rameez wrote: “Never mind the security but there are more reasons to why international cricket has overlooked this part of the world when it comes to international cricket.”

Each promptly removed the posts, and replaced them with apologies.

“As captain of [UAE] I would like to apologise to everyone in Pakistan for our frustrated tweets after yesterday's match,” Mustafa wrote.

Mustafa is currently in Kathmandu, captaining a side in the Everest Premier League, but was still not able to move on entirely.

“Still hurting for not qualifying to semi in Asia emerging cup - good luck to all teams who are playing tomorrow,” he wrote ahead of the semi-finals.

Raza and Rameez wrote matching responses. “It wasn't the outcome we wanted and circumstances were unfortunate due to the weather conditions but I'd like to thank [Pakistan Cricket Board and Asian Cricket Council] for their warm welcome and generous hospitality,” they said.

https://www.thenational.ae/sport/cr...ight-weeks-by-emirates-cricket-board-1.804500

 

[JaDed]

Missed this news somehow but covers is an issue ,also BD has best drainage system in Asia for grounds Imho

 

[light]

This isn't going to do down well.

It didn't, awell atleast for the 3 players. Got suspended. But if you ask me, they had all the rights to critisize. Had they not taken this to twitter, none of us would have even known, or cared.

 

[Abdullah719]

Pakistan Cricket Board accepts apologies made by three UAE players for social media comments

The Pakistan Cricket Board has accepted apologies from the three UAE players who made critical comments on social media during the Emerging Teams Asia Cup last year, the Emirates Cricket Board has said.

Captain Rohan Mustafa, spinner Ahmed Raza and batsman Rameez Shahzad were fined and suspended for eight weeks for venting their frustrations after the UAE missed out on a chance to qualify for the semi-finals of the Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Karachi in December.

"Following the recent disciplinary sanctions imposed on three of its professional players, Emirates Cricket Board has today confirmed that the Pakistan Cricket Board has received and accepted formal apologies made to them by the players," the ECB said in a statement issued on Thursday.

As a gesture of goodwill, the ECB will donate the fines imposed on the players to a Karachi-based charity, it added.

The trio will miss this month's home series involving Nepal, but the board confirmed "they are currently involved in an intense training programme alongside" the provisional squad.

The UAE were on the brink of reaching the last four of the eight-team competition after being well placed in the final pool match against Hong Kong, but rain meant no result could be achieved. The rain shower had been relatively brief, but the pitch was deemed unplayable after water had seeped under the covers at the Southend Stadium.

https://www.thenational.ae/sport/cr...ae-players-for-social-media-comments-1.811459

 

[latecut]

PCB has accepted apologies, but they too need to apologize to Emirates Cricket board.