Every News: Miandad rejects PM’s decision to abolish departmental cricket

Miandad rejects PM’s decision to abolish departmental cricket
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KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad has strongly rejected the Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision to abolish departmental cricket.During a fiery news conference here on Saturday Miandad said that till time when departmental sports were in vogue Pakistan had global titles in different sports.“We were world champions at different places when departmental sports was running. Now I can say with utmost surety that had there not been Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) then there would have been no Jehangir Khan,” Miandad said.He was flanked by squash legend Jehangir Khan and hockey Olympian Islahuddin Siddiuqi.Prime Minister Imran Khan, while rejecting the recommendations of the task force for domestic cricket in a meeting in Islamabad recently, ordered the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to opt for a six-team first-class cricket structure where there would be no role of departments. The departments could only sponsor the provincial teams. A blue-print of the first-class cricket and the rest of the domestic events has already been made public by the media.According to the proposed first-class cricket structure six teams, including Sindh, North Punjab, South Punjab, Balochistan, Federal Areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be featuring on double league basis.And besides the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which will have its usual format, in the rest of the other domestic events, 16 associations each will be contesting. Soon after the meeting in which Imran Khan ordered the PCB to go for a six-team first-class cricket structure, Habib Bank Limited (HBL) decided to demobilise its cricket team. HBL were champions of both the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy and the One-day event held last season.On April 17, five, out of the seven PCB Governing Board members, had moved a resolution in Quetta, rejecting the PCB’s move to abolish departments and regions in the domestic cricket. Miandad says that no one plays hockey or cricket if there is no job.“Our real issue is economic. No one wants to play hockey or cricket if there is no job. The people play because of compulsion as they want to earn bread and butter,” Miandad said. He said Imran Khan himself played county cricket and also played for department. “Imran bhai, the Prime Minister, you yourself have played county cricket in England. We were not insane to play county cricket but we played because we were earning money,” Miandad said. “Ask your PTI people who have voted you that you are right or we are speaking the truth. Time will decide,” the former legendary right-handed top order batsman said. He said had he been the PM he would have advised all the departments to form their teams.“Unlike in the Australian culture, in our culture the whole family depends on earning of a single individual. Parents feed their children. The prime minister should take input from the masses and the concerned people before going for any cricket structure,” he said.Meanwhile large number of cricketers also staged a protest demonstration in front of the Karachi Press Club, chanting slogans “Restore departmental cricket.” Miandad also joined them and expressed solidarity with them.The 61-year old Miandad scored 8832 runs in 124 Tests at a decent average of 52.57 which also includes 23 centuries and 45 fifties.In 233 ODIs he scored 7381 runs at an average of 41.70 which includes eight centuries and fifty fifties.