Breakaway in Oman over national selection

A group of Omani national cricketers are trying to form a breakaway group after the Oman Cricket Club, who run the game in the country, backed by the Sports Ministry, refused to bow to their demands for more representation in the national side.

"Our doors are always open and we have done everything to convince the group to continue playing in the tournaments organised by us," Maqbool Yousuf Al Lawati, vice president of the OCC, told Gulf News. "They [the Omani nationals] wanted 60% representation in the national team. We cannot accept that condition as we are here to pick the best and cricket is not played only by the Omani nationals, every resident in the country must get a fair chance, including expatriates."

A group of about 90 Omani nationals, three-quarters of the country’s players, have started playing their own tournament outside the official league in protest against OCC's refusal to accept their demands which the elected board members of the OCC termed as 'unreasonable'.