PCB makes yet another alteration in domestic schedule

The domestic season is just about to begin. Still, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has yet to confirm the scheduling of the matches, highlighting flawed governance and a lack of professionalism within the cricket governing body.

In yet another schedule alteration on Thursday, August 29, the PCB postponed the commencement of the Inter-district Senior Cricket Championship. The board stated in a letter addressed to the district cricket associations that the time of delay was indefinite due to the ongoing monsoon season. The start of the event will be rescheduled to September 8, a week later than its original date.

This wasn't the only change in scheduling from PCB as the organization decided to prepone the beginning of the Inter-district U-19 Championship from October 1 to September 10, as per a report from Dawn. Recently, the board had also changed the starting date of the Champions One-day Cup, the 50-over format tournament of a newly-introduced top-tier “Cham­pions” system, from September 1 to 12, with the team mentors yet to be named back then. While the mentors for the five Champions sides were announced earlier this week, the coaching staff and squads of each of the participating teams are yet to be finalised

Notably, each Champion side has yet to name a 30-player squad for each of the four-day, one-day and Twenty20 formats. A select group of players will be undergoing fitness tests in various parts of the country on Friday, August 30, ahead of the squad selection procedure. The identities of the aforementioned players, the criteria of their selection, and the names of the selectors who have picked them have been kept as secrets. The fitness tests in Lahore will be conducted at the Punjab Stadium in the morning.

The lack of transparency regarding the revamped domestic structure, for which the PCB plans to award lucrative central contracts and match fees, is questionable as the board continues to keep important details secret. While the PCB wishes to introduce lucrative central contracts and match feels in the revamped domestic structure, transparency regarding the same has been lacking. Other than the contracts, the PCB has decided to incorporate heavy compensations for the newly-appointed mentors of the Champions sides in iconic cricketers like Waqar Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, Saqlain Mushtaq and Sarfraz Ahmad.

The PCB's failure to attract sponsors for the Champions tournaments, which it intended to make them marketable products, also points towards the failure of the board’s marketing department. As per reports, the mentors could earn anywhere between $25,000 to Rs5 million per month. Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has been given the responsibility of mentoring the Stallions.

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However, the other mentors are yet to be assigned to the other teams in the competition - Panthers, Wolves, Dolphins and Lions. The work of PCB's marketing team has come under the scanner after the board couldn't manage to get sponsors for the Champions tournaments.

Pakistan faced big upset after Bangladesh beat them for first time in Tests

Meanwhile, PCB have their hands full as well with regards to the senior men's team as they suffered an embarrassing 10-wicket defeat in the first Test against Bangladesh. This was their first-ever defeat to the Bangla Tigers in the red-ball format.

Also Read: Expect a good fight in second game from Pakistan: Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe

The PCB has garnered a lot of criticism, especially regarding the selection of players in the side. Former cricketers have bashed the organisation for the team's recent debacles. However, Shan Masood's men will have the chance to redeem themselves as they are currently taking on Bangladesh in the second Test in Rawalpindi.