Bureau Report
Karachi: It’s been one year after the domestic cricket structure was revamped, fast bowler Umar Gul has raised his voice for the return of departmental cricket in Pakistan.
“The salary I used to receive from the department was sufficient to cover my monthly expenses. But now, honestly speaking, what we are earning from domestic matches, which includes match fees and a monthly retainer, is not enough to cover the needs of my family,” Gul told to Cricket Pakistan in an interview.
“The players felt secured in departmental cricket but that is no longer the case. We need departmental cricket back, even if it is in grade two, and I will continue to raise my voice in this regard as a member of the cricket committee,” Last week, Pakistan men’s team head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq also threw weight behind this and requested Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the government to put in place an alternate system for them.
“Yes, departmental cricket has been a concern. We have already talked about it with PCB and urged that an alternate system be placed to look after our cricketers who are playing domestic cricket,” said Misbah. It must be noted that PCB had constituted six cricket associations in Pakistan with 192 cricketers given an annual contract. Th old structure was replaced with the new one after Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is also the patron-in-chief of the PCB, rejected the model that included departments.
