Former Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq Blamed the Cricket Board

 Former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq blamed the cricket board`s neglect of departmental cricket responsible for the slide in Pakistan cricket and failure to produce top class players. By pushing back departments and restructuring first class cricket the board has committed a grave mistake. We were on top of the world in 1992 and 1999 because we followed the departmental cricket system the former Test batsman said and we need to follow the same system we used in the past and support departmental cricket.

 Since that system has been abolished quality players have stopped coming up he said. Inzamam said he was not against having region based domestic cricket but the positive of having departments and banks play domestic competitions was that players got employment and had to compete for places against strong opposition. In regional cricket there is disparity between the teams in terms of players strength and that is harming our domestic cricket. We have to revert back to promoting departmental cricket or we will not be able to produce players of the caliber of a Javed Miandad or Wasim Akram Inzamam said & Former captain Imran Khan has been one of the biggest supporters of having region based domestic cricket and has been vocal in his opposition to allowing departments and banks take part in 1^st lass cricket but Inzamam noted that it was because of departments that standard of domestic cricket was high and players got a chance to shine at the top level. We should promote regional cricket but at the same time need to enhance status of departmental cricket. There should be competition between the 2 he said. Inzamam himself was first picked for Pakistan after a record breaking year for United bank which had spotted him at the junior level. Last season, the cricket board introduced monthly retainers and match fees for players appearing for regional associations in domestic tournaments and from this season has allowed teams to even have one or 2 overseas guest players to enhance the quality of domestic competitions. Inzamam said unless the domestic structure was improved Pakistan would struggle to win against big teams. What is of concern is that in last two years we have not played a series to our potential. We do win one match here and there but not a full-fledged series and this is a very serious issue. He also called for the induction of senior professional cricketers into the board. The board is involving former players at the coaching level and in some administrative positions but by and large there is a need to have senior player involved in the running of the game in the country the former captain who had played 120 Tests and 378 one-dayers said.

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