PESHAWAR, Feb 04 (APP): Chairman PCB Ehsan Mani Tuesday said that introducing city cricket in more than 90 cities across Pakistan would help developing quality cricket and provide an opportunity to new faces to come to the main pool of selection.
This he said while talking to media men soon after attending the 57th BoD meeting of the Pakistan Cricket Board held for the first time in the history with all the members of the PCB governing board attended.
He said it was big achievement that Sri Lankan Cricket Board have a Series with Pakistan and Bangladesh Cricket Board agreed for sending its team to play two Tests, 1 ODI and 3 T20s. “With this visit Test cricket revived in Pakistan after a long time and more international cricket would come to Pakistan,” he said.
Ehsan Mani said: “I appreciate the BoG for acknowledging our efforts in getting this series back on track. To emerge profitable in the face of extreme challenges was another big achievement of this regime. If we had failed in our attempts with the media rights partner, we would have earned nothing as the tour could have been potentially canceled and our endeavors for the resumption of Test cricket would have been derailed.”
He said in City Cricket Association, they have also included six to seven cities of the recently merged tribal areas. He said those areas which have 12 to 15 playing clubs is fulfilling the criteria to be part of City Cricket Association. It was encouraging that best talent was coming from KP including the recently merged tribal areas and that was why PCB had given due attention to whole of KP talent, he added.
Misbah Ul Haq was called to BoG meeting and he had given a detailed briefing to the BoG members about team, he said, adding, “Misbah talked at length on players’ fitness, domestic cricket, event scheduling, team preparation, selection criteria, future plans and the positives of his dual responsibilities.” The BoG, he said, appreciated the efforts of Misbah and acknowledged he was operating in a challenging environment, while emphasizing on having a strategy that could take the sport and the team in an upward direction.
“We believed in quality not quantity and we were working dedicatedly to produce quality cricketers,” Ehsan Mani said. About the PSL matches, he said, he held meeting with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan who assured that the Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium would attract more international cricket to Pakistan soon after its completion.
PCB Chief disclosed that they have signed a MoU in 2017 with Directorate of Sports KP for forming of NCA, similarly of that is working in Lahore but we have wait for the completion of work on the Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium.
Answering a question, he said, a female academy would also be developed in Peshawar and talks have been own with Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University but so far no progress has been made. “I will look into it and even asked them to expedite their correspondence with PCB,” he said.
He said we have started the PSL with a final match in Lahore but now with the efforts and commitment of the PCB and support of the government, we are able to hold all the PSL matches in Pakistan. He said after home series against Bangladesh Marylebone Cricket Club is touring Pakistan and it would help bringing more international cricket to Pakistan.
He said BoG approved the Model Constitution for City Cricket Associations, which is in harmony with the PCB Constitution 2019 and Model Constitution for Cricket Associations.
About playing with India, he said, PCB did not want to play with India so there is no need of talks on any series. “The ACC is going to hold the Asia Cup and its management would decide either Pakistan would play against India or India would play against Pakistan,” Ihsan Mani remarked.
He disclosed that the BoG also approved the NOC guidelines for cricketers. Amongst other guidelines the policy allows centrally contracted players to seek a clearance for up to a maximum of three ICC-approved foreign leagues, excluding the HBL PSL, as long they don’t coincide with the PCB-organized events and player workload and fitness regime is properly managed.
The CEO shall have a final approval right, he said. The following attended the BoG meeting including Asad Ali Khan, Lt Gen (R) Muzammil Hussain, Imran Farookhi, Kabir Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Ayaz Butt, Shahrez Abdullah Khan, Shah Dost, Muhamad Ali Shahzada, Ex-Officio Wasim Khan (Chief Executive, PCB).
