ISLAMABAD: Members of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) submitted on Thursday a calling-attention notice to the National Assembly Secretariat seeking discussion on the poor performance of the national cricket team in matches of the Asia Cup T20 Tournament currently in progress in Bangladesh.

The notice was submitted by five PPP members a day after the defeat of Pakistan cricket team at the hands of Bangladesh in the tournament resulting in the ouster of the team from the championship.

The team had faced a humiliating defeat in its opening match against India which caused great resentment in the country.

Through the notice, PPP members have invited the attention of Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada “to the continuous worst performance of Pakistan cricket team in recent time thus bringing disgrace to the country and hurting feelings of millions of cricket lovers”.

“Both the management and the players are equally responsible for this disastrous state of affairs,” the PPP members said in the notice, adding that “it is sad that Pakistan Cricket Board is run by non-professional and incompetent people who lack cricketing vision and often take decisions which worsen the situation”, says the notice, a copy of which was released to the media by the office of the Opposition Leader Syed Khurshid Shah.

The PPP members have termed the dismal performance of the national players a “downfall of cricket” which, according to them, is “worrisome and needs immediate attention of the government as this sport is very close to the heart of Pakistanis and an identity of Pakistan in the sports world”.

“This is a serious matter causing grave concern among the people and needs to be discussed on the floor of the house,” says the notice.

The notice was moved by MNAs Aijaz Jakhrani, Imran Laghari, Nauman Islam, Shabbir Bajarani and Shazia Marri.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2016