LAHORE: The financial problems of cricketers, umpires, scorers have further been compounded as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided it will also not issue NOCs for any cricket tournament during the holy month of Ramazan due to coronavirus epidemic.

The PCB has already suspended all domestic and international cricket activities without considering any alternative plan for all the stakeholders like umpires, scorers and cricketers.

Although a total of 192 cricketers who have domestic central contracts are getting Rs50,000 per month despite being no matches being held, they are deprived of a handsome match fees which they could earn in case of the matches.

Similarly, the PCB is also paying monthly salaries to 11 umpires. But among a total of 119 umpires almost 40 are totally depended on local cricket matches, while rest have their jobs in other departments.

Moreover, the PCB also has around 100 scorers, among them 50 per cent are also depending on local cricket. And as thousands of cricketers have been rendered jobless in the wake of the PCB policy of abolishing departmental cricket, many of them are also depended on the local/domestic matches.

The situation is alarming for those cricketers, umpires and scorers, who are neither getting such central contracts or they have jobs in other departments. So far the PCB has not said anything to bail them out in tough times.

A group of affected umpires and scorers, who all requested anonymity, told Dawn that though the PCB was doing good enough for the central contractual players and umpires, local tournaments are the main financial resources for them which are not being held anymore. So at this crunch time, the PCB should arrange some financial plan for all the scorers, umpires on its panel and to compensate maximum cricketers, so that all the cricket fraternity of the country could pass on this hard time with some ease.

While due to the policy of abolishing departmental cricket, thousands of cricketers are already jobless, the board had also rendered 240 groundsmen and curators jobless chiefly because there is no domestic structure in existence.

The group of affected umpires and scorers and cricketers suggested the PCB to allocate some funds for all the elite panel of umpires, scorers and maximum number of domestic cricketers, from its budget set aside for domestic cricket as there are remote chances that the domestic season for 2019-20 will be completed by June 30.

Meanwhile, the PCB issued the following press release on Saturday:

“We have been approached by some organisers, seeking clarification on the PCB’s NOC policy for Ramadan cricket. At this time it is appropriate we follow our overarching policy which states that organised cricket in Pakistan will remain suspended until normalcy returns to society. In this background, the PCB will not issue any NOCs for Ramazan cricket.

“These are unprecedented, tough and challenging times for the world as all economic and sporting activities have come to a standstill with sole focus being on health and safety of the people. The PCB strongly urges organisers and cricketers to religiously follow all precautionary measures, including remaining indoors, maintaining social distancing and avoiding gatherings.

“The PCB takes the welfare and wellbeing of its staff and cricketers very seriously. It has around 220 professional cricketers on its payroll apart from its staffers. The PCB will ensure that full player salaries continue to be honoured until at least the end of the 2019-2020 financial year. Furthermore, we have put in place systems to ensure that monthly salaries are paid on time and without delay.

“The PCB is monitoring the situation in the country closely as it evolves and will amend its policy when appropriate,” it concluded.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2020