LAHORE, Oct 19: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar M. Khan has stated that the board cannot promote the game without cooperation of district associations.

"The district bodies will run school cricket and other grassroot level activities as PCB has decided to decentralise the cricket organisation," the chairman announced while speaking as chief guest at the prize distribution ceremony held by the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) for the winners and runners-up of its senior and under-19 Inter-zonal championships.

The visit of the chairman to LCCA ground was noticed as a visible change and a thaw in the relations between the board and the two major associations of the country - LCCA and KCCA-which have been quite acrimonious in the past.

The chairman explained that from next year school cricket would be organised in 16 districts instead of Lahore only.

The champion school would play matches against its Indian counterpart on reciprocal basis, he added. However, the chairman did not accept LCCA's demand to allow the district body to hold scrutiny of the clubs on its own but assured that no biased person would be included in the scrutiny committee to be formed by the board.

The chairman, also seemed unwilling to accept the LCCA elections results held during the year. "Negotiations are under way between PCB and the LCCA over the issue of holding fresh elections and it will be solved soon," he added.

He went on to say that the board would continue to appoint a selector for each district body to pick players for first class cricket.

"In the past, the selections in districts have not been totally fair and a representative from PCB is necessary to avoid unfair selection," he said.

He said that PCB would give LCCA its share in the gate money for organising a match against New Zealand at Lahore. "LCCA will support PCB in whatever steps are taken for the district cricket associations as I believe that will be for our betterment," LCCA president Aamir Hayat Khan Rokri pointed out in his speech.

He said that relations were improving between LCCA and the board after the latter had accepted major demands of the association.

Later, North Zone were awarded a cash prize of Rs 50,000 for winning the Under-19 Inter-zonal championship. West Zone received the runners-up prize of Rs 25,000. West Zone Blues earned Rs 50,000 for winning the senior Inter-zonal championship. North Zone pocketed Rs 25,000 as runners-up.