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| October 30, 2001 | Tuesday | Shaba'an 12, 1422 |
Naseerabad team lodged at dressing rooms in Quaid Trophy
KARACHI, Oct 29: Pakistan Cricket Board’s step-motherly treatment to cash-strapped associations was exposed Monday when it was revealed that Naseerabad team had lodged at the Asghar Ali Shah Stadium for their Quaid-i-Azam Trophy Grade-II match.
Highly placed sources said Naseerabad, a financially weaker association, made its 18-man squad lodge in the stadium’s dressing room.
“We had no money to lodge and board in a hotel,” an official of Naseerabad said.
He admitted that Dr Mohammad Ali Shah exempted their Rs4,000 charges for using the ground but said Rs6,000, which the PCB gives for the match, was not enough.
“Besides lodging and boarding, there is travelling and daily allowance of the players. What we did was to shift to a hotel for the next round match after we had Rs12,000 in our pocket.
“Despite all regards and thanks to the owner of the ground, it was a terrible experience because of little space and lack of lodging facilities. Naturally the performance of the players was affected because they spent an uncomfortable night,” the official said.
The official demanded that the PCB should increase the match fee of the smaller associations who had almost no funds to manage or look after their teams.
As regards the PCB, it was nothing but a disgrace considering that a team had to lodge in the dressing rooms. With the PCB doing a lot of development work, it needs to study the financial positions of all the associations and increase the funds of associations who have no funds at all.
This exercise would certainly help them making a mockery of the tournament as well as the players. And if they can’t do this drill, it’s better if they don’t include cash-strapped teams in tournament which is played under the name of Father of the Nation.
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