LAHORE: With Mohsin Raza Naqvi in place as the new chairman, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) faces a number of issues including the matter of pending payments of domestic events and contractual employees with no clarity when the state of affairs will return to normal.

Recently, the PCB organised the national U-16 tournament across the country. However, it has not released any amount for the players’ match fees, food during matches, and rent of the grounds used for the said event.

It is learnt that the payments of the previous tournaments are also pending, leave alone the recent U-16 event.

According to the details, the PCB only provided accommodation and transport to the participating teams while all the other arrangements had to be made by the manager-cum-coach appointed by the Board for each side.

Team-I in the event had a strength of 21 persons including players and team management while Team-II comprised 20 individuals. Each player is also eligible to get Rs10,000 as stipend for one time only. For every person of the team an amount of Rs1,500 was fixed for lunch and tea during the matches.

A sum of Rs3,000 per day was to be paid for refreshments during a match while match fee is Rs1,500 per person. Moreover, the ground rent was fixed at Rs16,000 per day.

Interestingly, the PCB this time around gave the position of head coach and manager to one person unlike the past practice when both the jobs — which are totally different tasks — were kept separate. This new economical arrangement introduced by the PCB must have compromised the quality.

According to sources, the pile of pending files in almost every department of the PCB has been getting heavier ever since Mohsin, who does not regularly visit the Board offices, was elected as the new chairman on Feb 6.

Additionally, the chairman’s office is being renovated at the Gaddafi Stadium these days (the PCB claims that Mohsin is spending money on the renovation from his own pocket), which is preventing smooth working at the office.

Mohsin, who was caretaker Punjab chief minister when he was elected as PCB chairman, has not been able to give appropriate time to the Board’s affairs from day one.

Recently, Mohsin was sworn in as federal interior minister which is a highly demanding position. In this situation, if he does not give appropriate time to a high-profile institution like the PCB, the Board’s affairs may not come to the right track in near future.

Sources said two-month salaries of some employees, working on contract basis or with the regional cricket bodies (on behalf of the PCB), are also pending.

Mohsin, it may be mentioned here, preferred to work with the government officials who had operated alongside him closely when he was the caretaker chief minister. Therefore, one reckons, only a few PCB employees who have had direct links with Mohsin, have straight access to the chairman.

When contacted, a PCB spokesman confirmed that due to the change of the PCB chairman on Feb 6, followed by the Feb 17 start of the Pakistan Super League, a number of matters including unpaid dues had surfaced. He, however, hoped that all the dues would be cleared soon.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2024