PCB’s terminated ground staff unaware of their fate

ISLAMABAD: Over 240 ground staff and low paid curators relieved in December by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) at the disbanding of regional association are in desperate state of mind, knowing little as what would be their ultimate fate as no provincial associations have been formed by the PCB so far or even if these new provincial associations take over in couple of months’ time as recently revealed by a top board official.

More than a few low paid workers and curators who previously were part of regional set-up in a telephonic call to The News expressed their fears that new provincial associations might not even consider them even if they were hundred times better in their technical prowess.

“As it always happens, those who would take over provincial associations would pick their near and dear ones even if they have no experience of handling ground work or pitch preparations. Politics has already marred cricket in the country and I don’t think with the establishment of provincial associations, things would get better. Those who would be given the powers at provincial level would prefer having their own workers even if they are totally raw and new to the job,” one of the former groundsman who served at different first class cricket grounds for over two decades said. He pleaded that after getting relieved by the PCB in December he along with many others had been striving to make both ends meet.”

The former curator said he and his other colleagues had served cricket and had been part of the system for long. “Poor and low paid workers always end up on receiving end. Same has happened with us allover the country. Everyone else is having good times in PCB. Even some of the top officials who were having good times in previous regime continued to get the same treatment from the Board even now. We low-paid workers got sacked or left to the mercy of proposed provincial associations. We are workers and want to serve the game. We have no favorites-we are interested only in our job and profession and have nothing to do with politics,” he said.

Though a few of the previous regional associations continued to retain some of the ground staff and curators, many others, including Lahore City Cricket Association/ Lahore Regional Cricket Association (LCCA/LRCA), that falls under private intensity showed no mercy to poor staff.

When a PCB official was approached to know on the possible future of these low-paid workers, he again reiterated Board’s previous stance that they were there when the regional associations were handling the affairs. “Now when we have a new structure in place it is up to provincial association to decide on their fate. We definitely want that the best should be rehired but provincial associations that are to be announced shortly would be in a better position to decide on their fate.”

Even Wasim Khan, Chief Executive Officer PCB in his video conference with a group of journalists recently hoped that provincial association would consider their case.