LAHORE: In a surprise development, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has asked the East Zone of the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) to replay the first-round match between Tauseef Club and Ghaziabad Sports in the ongoing Fazal Mahmood National Club Cricket Championship.

It is quite a bizarre decision taken by the Board at a time when Tauseef Club have already progressed to the third round of their zone.

According to details, both teams had played in the first round on Dec 18 last year at the Ittefaq Club Ground. However, umpires awarded the match to Tauseef Club as Ghaziabad Sports had not fulfilled one of the PCB prescribed rules that at least two under-19 players must be part of the playing XI.

Ghaziabad Sports registered a protest to the PCB against the umpires’ while also questioning Wast Zone in a letter for its stand on the issue. On Jan 19 East Zone cleared the position and PCB also accepted the reply in writing on April 4, while announcing the second-round schedule which included Tauseef Club.

While the club now has reached the third round but the PCB on April 19 again asked the zone to reschedule the said match. Further, East Zone had informed the PCB that it

won’t replay the match and declaring the PCB move against the rules of the tournament.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2019