LAHORE – Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has thrown his weightbehind the current domestic cricket structure a day after Prime MinisterImran Khan, who is also the Patron of the Pakistan Cricket Board, fullybacked it during a broadcast deal signing ceremony between the PCB and PTVSports.
Afridi, who played a staggering 524 international matches for Pakistan (27Tests, 398 ODIs, 99 T20Is) in a career spanning 20 years, said on Thursdaythat the new system needs to be given two to three years for it to payrewards during his interaction with the media on the sidelines of a ShahidAfridi Foundation event.
“Currently nearly 290 players are in the system with contracts [270domestic central or seasonal contracts besides PCB centrally contractedplayers] while around 100 former cricketers will be given jobs for CricketAssociations. I don’t think so there is unemployment at large with the endof departmental cricket, most of the side-lined players didn’t have afuture in the game or were past their prime as players and nearingretirement,” he said.
On 30 September, the PCB will begin its second domestic season under thenew domestic cricket model, which is based on six Cricket Associations.Over the course of the 2020-21 season, in which National T20 Cup,Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and Pakistan Cup One-Day tournament will be played,each association will field its first XI, second XI and U19 teams.
“Every system formulated needs to be given at least two to three years,”Afridi said. “This revamped system is still new in the sense that it is inits second year. The results will start coming in a year or so from now.
“If the Prime Minister thinks that this system will develop world-classplayers then we must back it for a year or the next 18 months at least. Weshouldn’t rush for results, Pakistan is seven decades old, everything needstime and this system also needs time and our backing.”
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Meanwhile, the PCB announced on Wednesday, a comprehensive plan to boostdomestic cricket while providing more job opportunities following ahistoric $200 million (three-year) deal for broadcast with the statebroadcaster. The deal will take all domestic and international cricketfeaturing men’s, women’s and age-group cricketers to every home in Pakistan.
The PCB also revealed its plans to invest PKR15billion over the next threeyears on both men and women domestic cricket structure, which includeupgrading of stadiums and infrastructure, building provincial academies andcentres of excellence.
This will also lay an employment path for over 100 former cricketers ascoaches and managers for the City Cricket Associations, restartinter-university cricket, investment in grass roots cricket and improveplayers’ earning and welfare.
