‘Depts won’t retain teams if their rights are taken away’

KARACHI: Sports director of a departmental cricket team which is participating in Grade II cricket from April 14 has said that if PCB did not allow the departments to work independently, it would be very difficult for them to retain their cricket team.

"But let’s see what happens. We still hope that something good would come out in the new domestic cricket format," he told ‘The News’ on Monday. He said that Pakistan is not England or Australia where dozens of options are available to sportsmen to earn their butter and bred. "Here in our society departments are the backbone of our sports culture. Thus, we cannot wipe them out," he said.

"Those departments who wanted to run their cricket teams would resist and try their best for survival. We are waiting for the PCB’s new domestic cricket official announcement," he added.

Some senior cricketers of HBL who have lost their jobs and contracts are and annoyed with the decision of their bank’s administration and they are waiting to know how the administration would compensate their losses. "Then they would decide how they fight for their rights," a source said. Meanwhile, the regions’ heads are also waiting for the PCB’s new domestic format.

It is pertinent to mention here that PM Imran Khan has rejected the proposal of merging departments and regions. He wants the domestic cricket to be based solely on regional competitions. But surprisingly, the regions heads have not been taken in confidence.

The PM wants the new domestic format to comprise only six teams on regional bases. Habib Bank Limited (HBL), the title sponsor of the Pakistan Super League, has already "demobilised" its cricket team. UBL had closed down its team before that. ZTBL has asked cricketers employed by it to do desk jobs. Those department that played Grade II cricket are hoping that they would not be affected by the new plan.