LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday decided to make participation in domestic cricket mandatory for selection in the national cricket squad, days after the Green Shirts’ dismal performance at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup led to their early exit from the tournament.
The decision was made during a lengthy meeting chaired by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, a local news channel reported. The meeting focused on enhancing the quality of domestic cricket in Pakistan and strategizing ways to bridge the gap between domestic and international standards.
According to media reports, the forum deliberated on restructuring domestic contracts and devised a comprehensive strategy to elevate the standard of domestic cricket competitions across the country.
Criticism from former cricketers following Pakistan’s lackluster showing at the T20 World Cup played a key role in prompting the PCB’s decision. Many ex-players had advocated for sending underperforming national team members back to the domestic circuit to refine their skills and regain form.
Pakistan’s campaign in the T20 World Cup was marred by defeats to debutants USA and arch-rivals India. With the match between the US and Ireland abandoned due to rain on June 14, the co-hosts secured one point, consequently ending Pakistan’s hopes of proceeding in the tournament.
The national team’s last league game against Ireland was only a formality, after which the national squad returned home.
Addressing the media after the meeting, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi emphasized the board’s commitment to promoting high-quality domestic cricket at all levels. He outlined plans to organize tournaments from grassroots clubs to the national level on a regular basis, ensuring continuity and robust competition across the cricketing spectrum.
Naqvi also announced initiatives to hire top-tier coaches for professional player development, aiming to narrow the gap between national and international cricket standards. Additionally, he stressed the appointment of a master coach to train domestic cricket coaches, with a focus on nurturing fresh talent and fostering cricketing talent at the grassroots level.
Highlighting the board’s stance on meritocracy, Naqvi underscored that future national team selections would be based strictly on performance and fitness criteria. He affirmed that the PCB would uphold stringent merit-based policies to ensure fairness and transparency in player selection processes.
چیئرمین پاکستان کرکٹ بورڈ محسن نقوی/ کوالٹی ڈومیسٹک کرکٹ کے حوالے سے اہم فیصلے
چیئرمین پی سی بی محسن نقوی کی زیر صدارت نیشنل کرکٹ اکیڈمی کے بورڈ روم میں 3 گھنٹے طویل اجلاس
ڈومیسٹک کرکٹ نظام کو مضبوط بنانے کا فیصلہ
چیئرمین پی سی بی محسن نقوی نےکوالٹی ڈومیسٹک کرکٹ کو فروغ دینے… pic.twitter.com/aqmRWegZzT
— PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) June 24, 2024
