Baig shows concern over PCB’s holding salaries of groundsmen

ISLAMABAD: Former member Senate Standing Committee on Sports, Enver Baig expressed his concern over Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decision to hold poor groundsmen’s salaries, saying that playing with the bread and butter of the poor negates Prime Minister Imran Khan priority list.

Reacting to a news item appeared in The News Sunday regarding the uncertain future of around 250 groundsmen and low paid curators who were waiting for their August salary from the cash rich PCB, Enver Baig said what the Board doing was against the very basic agenda of the Prime Minister election campaign. “Prime Minister has always vowed to improve poor’s plight. PCB’s decision not to release August salary to low paid employees is against PTI agenda. I wonder how dare the PCB acted against Prime Minister strict directions. A low paid employee who is getting around Rs 15 and 20 thousand per month, spends that amount on his living and children education. By holding their salaries, the cash rich PCB is actually playing with poor’s emotions.”

Senator Enver Baig questioned PCB priorities where they have millions of rupees to pay to the imported Managing Director Wasim Khan and none for poor staff. “It is sort of paradox where the Board has million to spend on imported MD but keeps poor staff on agonizing wait.” The former Senate committee member warned the PCB against playing the game of constitutional politics with the low paid salary class.

“These groundsmen have no concern whether you have adopted new constitution which has paved the way for provincial association in place of regions or not. They are your employees and have been working hard to maintain grounds. They hardly know about cricket politics or the provincial association and regions politics. The PCB should not play politics with groundsmen bread and butter.”

He called on the PCB to adjust these groundsmen wherever it is possible, release their salaries and allow them to work on the venues where cricket is played. “Instead of any further delay, the PCB must release salary of these poor employees, adjust them wherever it is possible. It is nothing less than a joke that PCB has millions and billions for VIP employees but when it comes to paying salary to poor, they start giving one reason or the other for this unjust delay.”

Enver Baig contemplated as when the PCB high ups would start realizing this important issue. “These groundsmen owe to the board more than anyone else as they have spent years in serving the cause of the game at grassroots level.”