Sarfraz for keeping departments presence in limited overs cricket

ISLAMABAD: As pressure starts mounting from all corners on Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to realize the importance of departmental cricket, former seam bowler Sarfraz Nawaz has suggested a way out and that is to keep departments presence in limited overs competition in order to save employment of hundreds of cricketers.

Talking to The News from London on telephone, the former Test bowler said in a country where employment for athletes and players had been a tough ask these days, depriving hundreds of youth from employment would be cruel.

“Every cricketer who has served Pakistan in the past somehow represented departments during his playing era. So why to deprive others from job where we once served and played. There is a way out for every challenge.

Country’s cricket definitely facing tough challenges these days and one of these is whether to scrap departments at all from Pakistan domestic cricket. I think scraping department cricket would be unjust as hundreds of players who represent these departments and first class and Grade II would go jobless as a result. There is way out.”

Sarfraz proposed that there was no harm in making top departments part of one-day and T20 cricket. “If the Patron PCB Imran Khan wants first class solely for provincial/ regional sides, there is no harm in allowing leading departments continue playing the National One-day and National T20 cricket. By that way, these top departments would get the mileage they require to justify keeping their sports departments intact.

There will then be no role for departments in first class cricket which seems a matter of concern for the patron. My second point is that during the first class season the best players should be made available for first class cricket.

The one-day and T20 nationals should be held in days when there is no first class cricket. According to my knowledge what departments need is required mileage from their investment on cricket. By staying in the news they would get that. I think there is no harm in keeping top departments part of Pakistan cricket sane first class cricket.”

Sarfraz said it would not be wise to compare our society with England and Australia. “Here where I am living these days (London) and in Australia and in all other major developed countries, people take pride in supporting sports. Be it cricket, football, rugby or any other major Olympic sports, finding sponsorship is all the more easier in western countries.

In Pakistan there is no trend or any binding from the government on cooperate sector that ensures consistent backing and support for Pakistan’s major sports. Look at the suffering of hockey in Pakistan. The national hockey team was unable to travel to figure in FIH Pro League because of lack of funds. Nowhere I have seen the national games of the country suffering in such a way. No multinational has come forwards to arrange hockey team traveling for pro league. So the answer is simple unless and until our society develops to a level where we can lure sponsors for sports, coping the western pattern would have disastrous effects.” Sarfraz said his suggestions should be thoroughly looked into as there is need to protect country’s sports rather than leaving it at the mercy of disinterested society.”