May 30, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 13, 1428

KARACHI, May 29: The Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) has appealed to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hierarchy to discard any advice which may either reduce the role of departments in domestic cricket or confine them to play non first-class cricket.

“Departments have contributed immensely towards the development of Pakistan cricket to the present level,” the KCCA Secretary Siraj-ul-Islam Bukhari said on Tuesday.

“By employing the cricketers, departments secure their jobs besides protecting their future so that they can fully concentrate on polishing their skills in a carefree manner,” he said.

He added that the present format of domestic cricket in which both departments and associations take part in the game in their respective tournaments, is the most suited under the prevailing socio-economic circumstances in the country.

“Some critics who are pressurising the PCB to do away with departmental cricket are not fully aware of the repercussions if the departments wind up their teams. This could prove suicidal for the future of Pakistan cricket,” he warned.

However, it may be made compulsory for the departments to develop at least one cricket ground and infrastructure in any city lest their playing rights might be withdrawn.

“If no remedial steps are taken the present lot of cricketers will be exhausted to the detriment of Pakistan cricket,” Bukhari maintained.

Bukhari expressed it is unfortunate that successive ad hoc committees which have been ruling Pakistan cricket for the last eight years have not been paying the due shares to the associations all over the country from the income generated from Test and ODIs staged at home, resulting in the associations not being able to deliver the goods to explore latent talent from grass roots.

He made a fervent appeal to the PCB chief Dr Nasim Ashraf to direct the board officials to release the income shares from Test and ODIs to the associations. —APP