Islamabad faces cricket board’s discrimination

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad has again been deprived of its share in the domestic mat­ches as the Pakistan Cri­cket Board (PCB) excl­uded its grounds from the list of venues for the next season.

‘The News’ has got domestic season 2020-2021 calendar, which was given an initial shape with some alterations on Wednesday. The calendar shows no matches whatsoever of any age group for Islamabad grounds. The schedules of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Grade I and II, National One-day Cup, National T20 Cup (I-II), Pentangular Cup have been prepared for the next season.

Quaid-e-Azam Trophy gets under way from September 28, 2020 with matches between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) at Bugti Stadium in Quetta, Central and Sindh will be up against each other at National Stadium in Karachi while Southern and Northern will face each other at Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi.

The season will start with the National T20 Cup to be played at the Pindi Stadium and Multan Stadium from September 2. Initial sixteen matches will be played at Pindi Stadium from September 2-9 with action shifting to Multan where remaining and knockout matches will be held.

The opening match at the Pindi Stadium will be played on September 2 between Northern and KP. On the same day, Central and Southern will also be in action.

All the matches of Grade II National T20 Cup will be staged at different venues in Karachi while Pakistan Cup One-day (I-II) Tournament matches will also be played at different venues in Karachi. Karachi will also host all Inter-Region Under-19 three-day competition matches that will get under way from September 1, 2020.

For the second year in running, Islamabad grounds — Diamond, Marghzar, Shalimar and Bhutto — have not been allotted any match.

“It is really unjust not to see a match being held in Islamabad. The capital city provides the best facilities to the cricketers. Besides pavilions, pitches and fields are considered as the best in the country. The PCB may have some issues with former Islamabad officials but it is really unjust to deprive dwellers of the capital to watch top players in action,” Faisal Hussain, one of the leading club cricketers, said.

He hoped the PCB would review the situation and allot the city its due matches. “The schedule has not been made public as yet however one hopes that the PCB would review the decision and adjust Islamabad grounds in the season schedule.”

Meanwhile, after much hue and cry by the media, the PCB included departmental cricket in the domestic season and left it at the mercy of concerned officials in days to come. The slot allotted for the tournament is from July 1, 2020 where playing in open has never been easier. Departmental Cricket (TBC) slot did not mention as which teams have been invited or whether the offer letters have been sent to departments.