A five-year drought is over! Department cricket for Pakistan Cricket is back! The resumption of Departmental Cricket in Pakistan will benefit Pakistani cricket greatly. Department cricket was put on hold after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s cricket revamp policy in 2018. This decision was made to give opportunities to young talent. On the contrary, former cricketers highly criticized this decision, as, according to them, it might abolish cricketers’ financial freedom to a great extent.
It is an outstanding step to Improve Pakistan Cricket. On Aug 11, 2023, Director Domestic Cricket Operations (A), Junaid Zia, with the support of the Cricket Technical Committee compromising Misbah Ul Haq and Muhammad Hafeez, announced the revival of Department Cricket as part of the Domestic Circuit of Pakistan.
He stated, “This structure provides a level playing field to regions and departments, as they will have the best cricket talent available. Separating regions and departments in different tournaments also enhances earning opportunities for cricketers with separate contracts and more matches.” Let’s take a deep look at how the Resumption of Departmental Cricket in Pakistan will Improve Pakistani cricket.
President Cup Structure
After the announcement of the resumption of departmental cricket in Pakistan, it was decided that there would be two groups of 8 teams. One group will consist of Department Teams, and the other will represent the District Teams.
High Selection standards from PCB made it an uphill task for departments to Complete their Teams. The 4-year gap has affected the preparations and plans dearly. Per the PCB rules, every team must have players of different skill sets like International Players, First Class, Grade II, District, Under-19 & Pakistan Shaheens.
It looked like a difficult task, and it proved difficult for nearly all the departments. Even the Departments with Players on their Employee lists faced the same issues.
Departments managed this demand well as the deadline approached. They provided all the mandatory details and records demanded by the Pakistan Cricket Board, such as employment contracts, contact information, names of coaching staff, etc.
The department cricket team will compete for the President’s Cup title. Eight teams were named part of the President Cup, including SNGPL, SSGC, PTV, KRL, WAPDA, NBP, STATE BANK, and Ghani Glass.
According to PCB, Department Teams and District Teams will contest separately in the domestic season of 2023-2024. It will give new cricketers jobs they could not get before Pakistan’s Resumption of Departmental Cricket.
President Cup playing conditions have also been introduced. The first innings will consist of 80 overs, and the bonus point system has been reintroduced.
The batting team scoring over 350 runs in 80 overs will be eligible for a bonus point. The Bowling Team will get a bonus point if it bowls out the batting team before 350 in 80 overs. Surprisingly, the bowling team has been given an extra advantage for the declaration scenario. If the batting team declares before 350, the bowling team will be awarded a bonus point.
StarStudded Tournament begins on December 16, 2023
The President Cup kicked off on December 16, 2023, with the contest between WAPDA & KRL in Karachi at United Bank Limited Sports Complex. Two more matches started on the same day in the city but at different venues.
Ghani Glass is facing SNGPL at the National Bank Cricket Arena, and the contest, PTV vs. Statebank, is being played at the State Bank of Pakistan Cricket Complex, Karachi.
Superstars like Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Umer Akmal, Muhammad Abbas, Sahibzada Farhan, Abid Ali, and many more will be seen in action at this Huge Tournament.
Rising Stars like Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, Shahnawaz Dahani, Sameen Gul, Muhammad Ali, Omair Yusuf, Hasan Mohsin, and Muhammad Ilyas will play for their respective departments.
The combination of experience and youngsters will surely be a gold dust for Pakistan Cricket. Opportunities like these will bring out the best for Pakistan Cricket. The resumption of Departmental Cricket in Pakistan will provide a great platform for hidden talents as they can showcase their abilities on the highest domestic level.
This will surely aid these young players in enhancing their game and skill set. The only drawback that can be observed in this tournament is not being telecasted live. Live broadcasts and media exposure always do wonders for cricket and every field.
It is hoped that high standards will be set for Domestic Cricket in the future. The resumption of Departmental Cricket in Pakistan will surely improve Pakistan Cricket.
