Pakistan domestic cricket overview

[Maranello]

An overview of Pakistan's domestic cricket system has been included here.

What do we all think of the Pakistani domestic sytem? Has the system worked? Do you agree with my verdict? And more importantly, are the proposed steps being taken by Shehryar Khan and the PCB in the right direction.

In addition, if anyone has any other comments or thoughts on the system, please feel free to mention them here, and I will update the description as appropriate.

[Zainub]

Hmm, not sure where I should start from, but here I go any way. Firstly I don’t think our domestic system is the worst in the test playing world, I agree that it’s not the best, far from it, but its not the worst either, standard wise (as in standard of cricket, competitiveness etc) we're not that bad, certainly better than say Zimbabwe or Bangladesh. What we are lacking is proper administration and marketing strategies, the later have been until lately virtually non-existent.

There are some major hurdles as to why even the most passionate of fans in this country would be reluctant to watch domestic cricket, even if it being broadcasted on Ten Sports or what ever. One of them being the senior side playing so much international cricket, they rarely represent their domestic sides. I’m sure more people will be lining up to watch Mutan vs. Lahore if there was a potential Inzi vs. Shoaib spectacle on the offering.
There are other factors too.

I live in Karachi, was born and brought up here, and hence would naturally like to support a team that represents a city I have had an association with for close to 2 decades, but I have a dilemma. Karachi has two teams participating in the major 4 day first class competition namely the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Now how the hell I'm I suppose to decide if I'm to support a Moin Khan led Karachi Whites team or a Hasan Raza (who BTW is standing by for Latif who is serving a 6 month ban) led Karachi Blue? Its not as if we know that white represents one region of the city and blue another - or may be it does and I don't know, help me out, because this has been a quandary to me, one day I'm happy about the whites winning against Peshawar, the other day I'm fretting on a blues loss to Pindi, but what I’m supposed to do when on one xyz day the blues face white? And they do, that’s when I don’t know what to do.

Lahore too has two teams participating in the QT, and I wonder if Lahoris fans are facing this dilemma too. There is potential here to develop this into a high profile derby if some one can out line what define blues and what areas define white. These things can be exploited, and used to draw crowds but no, the PCB will never even look at these delicacies. Then there is this ridiculous story of departments, and Miandad’s theory that they are the livelihood of players and hence can’t be got ridden of completely. I fail to understand why these very departments can’t take an active part in running the system without actually sending in their teams in there. Instead of PIA having its own team they could sponsor the Karachi team, instead of KRL playing as team it could sponsor Lahore or what ever.

I can watch a match involving PIA and Sui Gas, but can I be passionate about it, like I am supporting Pakistan, United or Ferrari? No obviously not. The situation in general is the best it has been in years, but I can’t for once see in any point in time in the future following for domestic cricket, as in crowd attendances increasing (or starring to develop) as long as the departments exist. I take the straightforward Imran Khan approach to this issue and say we get rid of them altogether. And hence disagree with Shahrayar Khan in this respect.

I also think it’s ridiculous that we still run the board on adhocism, I don't necessarily think it has a direct impact on the team's performances, but the notion of even a minor sports body being run non-democratically and having the head of the state as the patron in chief is totally outrageous and unacceptable. All the pressure that is being piled on the PCB from various quarters is this respect is completely justified, and I stand by that too. On the specific subject of the Senate Standing Committee of Sports being formed and then launching an inquiry into the team's loss against India, and worse still into Shoaib’s rib injury, I can hardly tell you how annoyed I am. There are a hundred million more important things the Senate members need to work on, yet they can only beat about a certain loss to arch rival India - them questioning the PCB's man management skills is equivalent to the pot calling the kettle black. It’s a bizarre state of affairs this, and in its bizarreness it has no parallel to the rest of the world.

[King Aragorn]

I agree that the Pakistani domestic system isn't the best. I don't think we can expect big crowds in a Lahore vs Sailkot test match if people don't even feel interested in a Pakistan vs Sri Lanka test match! The crowds attendences are abysmal. Even the ODI tournament, the Patron's Trophy does not attract many people. What became of Twenty20 though? When I last heard, PCB had decided to start Twenty20 this season. Some swashbuckling sixes might be attractive enough as these these people certainly find batting much more entertaining and a match where ball dominates the bat is found to be rather boring by most...

The overall picture is quite bleak but the PCB has taken some very good initiatives which I am sure will help raise the level of cricket in the domestic circuit. I have listed some of them below:

1) Daryl Foster helped create a manuel to teach Pakistani domestic coaches throughout the country and personally worked with other coaches. He called it an "epoch making moment" and that Pakistan has chosen to "move forward by developing its own indigenous Coach Education Programme". Now that the quality of coaching at the grass root level will start improving rapidly, the youngsters coming up will most probably be much better players.

2) As Maranello bhai said, PCb has struck a sponsership deal with ABN Amro which is very encouraging indeed. Hopefully money through such sources will be used on further improvement of cricketing facilities in Pakistan (And not on purchasing villas and Mercedes cars for the PCB top brass....

3) A pitch commisioner has been appointed by the PCB following Rashid Latif's actions in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. The pitch commissioner will be responsible for preparation of pitches throughout the country.

4) A foreign firm has been hired to help detect illegal action for bowlers. Hopefully this will be started after the expected changes in the laws.

Hence, some substantial steps have been taken but there is much more that needs to be done yet to really boost the level of domestic cricket and also the interest to the common masses.

[Zainub]

The inaugaral 20 20 Cup is scheduled to be held coming Feburaray, no schedules/formats announced though still.

[King Aragorn]

Originally Posted by Zainub Razvi

The inaugaral 20 20 Cup is scheduled to be held coming Feburaray, no schedules/formats announced though still.

Thank you Zainub! It will be interesting to see the crowd attendences in Twenty20 matches.