Former cricketers meet PCB chairman to discuss improvement strategies

Former Pakistani cricketers recently met Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi to discuss ways to improve the domestic cricket structure in Pakistan.

The former cricketers provided suggestions and recommendations to the PCB chairman.

The cricketers who met with the PCB chairman included Salman Butt, Ijaz Ahmed, Sarfraz Ahmed, Basit Ali, Intikhaab Alam, Mohammad Samiuddin, and Asad Shafiq.

Yasir Hameed, Saleem Altaf, Haroon Rasheed, Yasir Shah, Sikandar Bakht, Wajahatullah Wasti, and Izhar-ul-Haq also met with the PCB chairman.

At the start of the meeting, the PCB Chairman gave a presentation titled “Pathway to Pakistan Cricket” which outlined the different stages a cricketer goes through to reach the national team.

Bakht pointed out that the U19 category was not included in this “pathway”. The PCB responded that the U19 program is a separate part of the plan and will be given significant importance.

Bakht emphasized that there should be a clear mechanism for selection, with priority given to performance in first-class cricket.

The PCB has proposed a revised cricket calendar that will feature four-day cricket in October, followed by one-day cricket.

Initially, the PCB had planned to schedule the one-day cricket first, but now the PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, has expressed his commitment to implementing this revised plan.

During a meeting, Butt emphasized the importance of four-day cricket and suggested that more tours should be arranged for the A team, U19, and U16 teams.

Another cricketer also proposed that the team’s tours should be scheduled with Australia, South Africa, and England.

The former cricketer has also suggested that the team selection for the proposed Penta-angular tournament should be based on recent performances rather than records. He has recommended organizing cricket competitions in 16 regions and 10 departments to identify the best talent. Additionally, Salman Butt has proposed the introduction of three-day school cricket.

Butt suggested that the NOC (No Objection Certificate) for the two leagues should be conditioned on participation in at least 5 first-class matches.

Rasheed recommended to develop a coaches’ development program and decentralize the regional team matters, criticizing the appointment of Misbah-ul-Haq to the Pakistan cricket team without prior coaching experience after his retirement from international cricket and suggested that coaches should first work at the grassroots level after completing their coaching courses, before being inducted into the international cricket setup.

He emphasized that the regional teams should be run by people from the respective regions, rather than being controlled from the PCB headquarters. He said that decision-making authority for grassroots-level matters needs to be devolved to the lower levels.

lam said more focus is needed on four-day and U19 cricket, and ground conditions need improvement. He suggested involving various departments in decision-making.

Kamal recommended coaching courses at the U16 level, while Yasser Hamid stressed the need to change the mindset that great players make great coaches.

Mohammad used the word “pathetic” to criticize the national team selection, saying the team went with only 4 players, while the rest were of no purpose.

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Former batsman Basit Ali informed the meeting that the former cricketers’ pension scheme is suspended, and the PCB Chairman assured immediate resolution of the issue.

The PCB Chairman appreciated the players’ suggestions and assured their implementation. He proposed holding matches in the north and central regions during the summer, and the south during the winter, along with plans to set up academies in other cities and improve stadium conditions.