Draft system for Quaid-e-Azam Trophy approved

KARACHI: Despite stiff opposition from Karachi region, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Governing Board on Friday approved the players draft system for Quaid-e-Azam Trophy regional sides with slight alteration.

The domestic cricket affairs committee head Shakil Sheikh told ‘The News’ after the Governing Board meeting in Lahore on Friday that as per the final decision ten players for a 20-member regional side would be picked through a draft system from a pool of 150 players. Ten would be selected on the basis of the Inter-District performance. The 20-member side would also have two under-19 players who would be picked from the draft, he said.

Shakil said that all the 20 players of a region would be given monthly stipend for one year. However, he was quick to add that it had not yet been decided how much it would be. The 10-10 formula was agreed to after Lahore Region requested the domestic affairs committee that the initially proposed draft order of 12-8 should be reversed.

As many as eight regions feature in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy along with eight departments. The country’s first-class season will begin from October 7. This correspondent learnt that a hot debate was held on the draft issue. The proposed system was strongly opposed by Karachi City Cricket Association’s (KCCA) president Ijaz Farooqui, who walked out of the meeting as he thought that the house was going to approve the draft.

Under the new system over-30 players will not be allowed to make their first-class debut for their regions.Meanwhile, a source said that as it was the last Governing Board meeting it was also decided that Lahore, FATA, Sialkot and Quetta would be given representation in the Board of Governors, while the departments would be given entry on the basis of their performances in first-class cricket.

The other day during talks with this correspondent, coaches and a few regions gave their thumbs up to the draft system as according to them in the old system nepotism and corruption marred the selection process.