RAWALPINDI, Jan 14: Civil Judge, Rawalpindi, Amjad Iqbal Ranjha, has set Jan 26 as the next date of hearing in a petition challenging the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)scrutiny committee decision to declare 16 clubs inactive.

The 16 clubs, out of 25 declared inactive, had moved the court against the decision of a three-member scrutiny committee appointed by PCB, that had also declared 53 clubs active.

The learned judge has directed PCB to submit details of the matters during the next hearing on Jan 26. PCB had also appointed a five-member committee which was to take up appeals against the scrutiny committee's decisions on Friday.

The 16 clubs declared inactive had taken the plea that they fulfilled the terms and conditions for eligibility as laid down by PCB and had been registered as valid clubs for so many years.

According to results compiled by the Scrutiny Committee, there were 53 active clubs, 25 inactive clubs, with playing rights, while five were "absentees." -APP