PCB announce revamp of domestic structure

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to go the whole hog with changing the domestic cricket structure in 2003-04, but have they bitten off more than they can chew?

A brand-new region-based structure, something along the lines of that proposed by Pakistan's legendary cricketer-turned-politician, Imran Khan, was unveiled on Monday.

The PCB hopes the structure will finally bridge the gap between Pakistan's domestic cricket and the standards required at international level. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has also experimented with the format of its Duleep Trophy in recent times.

Former cricketers and the heads of district cricket associations were invited for the presentation, with the Chairman Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, CEO Rameez Raja and other department heads of the PCB listening to feedback from the invitees in a mammoth six-hour session.

Hanif Mohammad, the sub-continent's original Little Master, offered the consensus view that the plan would serve Pakistan well by increasing competition, while also allowing for representation from some remote regions of the country.

"The gap between our domestic cricket and the international requirements, which our young cricketers find so difficult to bridge, would be narrowed down considerably," said Hanif. "Excellence in cricket is a cyclical thing. Today Australia is producing great results; yesterday it was the West Indies. We have the talent, and the PCB is providing excellent back-up and support, and if we have patience, I'm positive that we would be able to turn things around."

Earlier Tauqir had presented a report on the progress of PCB's 'Vision 2005' - emphasising the infrastructure development work completed and the establishment of regional cricket academies. "Our aim is eventually one ground for every district, along with a qualified coach and the necessary equipment," said Tauqir. "We're also providing assistance in reviving grounds of historical background, such as the Minto Park and the University grounds in Lahore." A multimedia presentation showed how the regional academies are working. Youngsters are being trained not only with bat and ball, but there is a focus on social, linguistic and behavioural aspects to help round them out as international cricketers.

The plan calls for a colossal 803 matches next season, and a wag in the audience was heard to mutter, "Looks like they [PCB] bought a new calculator to flood us with cricket but will it improve quality?"

The clear desire to separate the regional (districts) and departmental (sponsored teams) was manifest, because the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy - the premier first-class tournament - would be contested by eight regions. Large but sparsely populated Baluchistan and NWFP would be one region each, with Sindh divided into two (Hyderabad and Karachi). The densely-populated Punjab would have four (Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan and Faisalabad) teams.

Aaqib Javed, who was part of the post-World Cup Review Committee, was the mastermind behind the planning, and he believes the target is in fact quality, not quantity. "Sponsors would be asked to sponsor the regions," he said, "and for the first time, our first-class cricketers would be paid Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 apiece.

"There would be 56 four-day games in all, with each of the regions playing on a home and away basis," he said. "The role of the associations remains as important," he added, "because they would be masters of all inter-district activities at the senior level, as well as at club and under-15 and under-19 levels."

He related past cases of talented cricketers from remote regions or cities being unable to play first-class cricket. "In the new system, if a player is good enough for first-class cricket despite belonging to a smaller district, he would get an opportunity in the region."

Aaqib illustrated his point by quoting the recent example of trials for the Faisalabad Regional Academy, when players from Jhang, Gojra, Tandlianwala and Mananwalla were given places. "Under the new system, such boys would stand a better chance of selection in the regional teams."

All this will cost the PCB a pretty penny, as the funding for domestic cricket in 2003-04 would jump three-fold, from PkR 30 million to about 75 million. The additional expense would be met by the sponsors. Some of the associations wanted more representation and suggested an increase in the number of regions, from the proposed eight teams to twelve.