ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Monday discussed strengthening Pakistan’s domestic cricket structure in the country after the green shirts failed to make it to the second round of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.
Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup, which saw them lose to minnows USA and arch-rivals India, triggered discussions about the state of domestic cricket in the country. Cricket experts and commentators have raised questions about domestic cricket in Pakistan, pointing out the lackluster pitches in the country and accusing selectors of deliberately ignoring cricketers who fail to perform in domestic cricket.
They have also pointed out frequent changes in the cricket board and its coaches, selectors and captains, and alleged divisions within the national squad as reasons for Pakistan’s hapless performance in the megaevent.
Naqvi chaired a three-hour-long meeting at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore with senior board officials on Monday. Discussions revolved around strengthening domestic cricket in the country and the role of coaches in grooming young talent in the country, the PCB said in a statement.
“Quality domestic cricket will be promoted at every level,” Naqvi was quoted by the PCB. “We will hold tournaments consistently from the club level to the national level.”
The PCB chairman said a “master coach” would be appointed to train coaches at the domestic level to groom young talent into future stars.
“Players will have to participate in domestic cricket to be selected for the national team,” Naqvi said. “Players will be selected only on the basis of performance and merit.”
Naqvi told board officials that work needs to be done on an “emergency basis” to promote new talent in the country, adding that investing in young talent would promote cricket at the lower level, which would produce “positive” results.
PCB officials also examined the structure of domestic cricket in India, New Zealand, Australia and England during the meeting, the board said.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam had stepped down as captain of all three formats after Pakistan failed to make the knockout stage of the 50-overs World Cup in India last year. However, he was reinstated as white-ball skipper ahead of the 20-overs showpiece in the US and West Indies.
Questions surrounding Azam’s captaincy have once again surfaced following Pakistan’s dismal performance in the World Cup. The Pakistani captain has said he would let the PCB take the ultimate decision about his captaincy.
“When I go back, we will discuss all that has happened here. And if I have to leave the captaincy, I will announce it openly,” he had said in a press conference earlier this month. “I will not hide behind anything. Whatever happens will happen in the open. But for now, I have not thought about it. It is eventually PCB’s decision.”
