The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to scrap the daily allowances of women players reporting for national camps. The decision to not give any sort of daily allowances to the players has left many disappointed and upset. “The players are not being given daily allowances because the board is now providing them accommodation and three full meals during the day,” a PCB official said. But the players, attending the training camp presently in Multan for the home series against South Africa women’s team, feel that the decision was not just as they had assembled from different parts of the country.

The South African team has already reached Multan and is preparing for the white-ball series from September 17, looked upon as a preparation for the ICC Women’s T20 Cup World Cup in UAE next month.

The interesting thing is that the players of Pakistan men’s team are offered the option of getting two full meals in a day and accommodation and a daily allowance.

A source aware of the developments said that until recently the board used to provide daily allowances to the women players.

The decision to change the policy comes at a time when the board is spending millions on various other projects including 5 million rupees monthly salaries to five mentors of the teams in the ongoing Champions Cup in Faisalabad.

The board is also spending around 12.8 billion on renovation on three Test venues in the country ahead of the Champions Trophy early next year.

“What difference of a few lakh rupees will make to the board is anybody’s guess, but it has potential to create discontent in women’s cricket,” a former Pakistan player said.

The board official said when the women players go into the series they will get daily allowances.

The women players are also still waiting for the board to announce their central contracts for the fiscal year which has already been delayed by more than a month.

Last year the board gave central contracts to 19 players.

Former Pakistan cricket team star Basit Ali once again took aim at Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and chairman Mohsin Naqvi following the team’s recent struggles. Pakistan suffered a humiliating Test series loss against Bangladesh months after crashing out of the T20 World Cup 2024 group stages. The results have put a lot of pressure on the Pakistan cricketers who are also getting criticised by both fans and experts alike. Basit slammed Naqvi’s leadership and said that “promises made to fix Pakistan’s cricket are nothing but gimmicks”. He further referenced similar views presented by Indian cricketers like Sourav Ganguly and Ravichandran Ashwin to boost his view on the situation.

Both Ganguly and Ashwin have recently spoken about Pakistan’s recent downfall when it comes to international cricket.

“Mohsin Naqvi, please open your eyes. You say that you will fix Pakistan’s cricket, but it cannot happen like this. It is the bitter truth. People criticize me when I speak about Yasir Shah. Ravichandran Ashwin has said the same thing, expressing surprise over the dearth of spinners in Pakistan. I may be wrong, but is Ashwin also wrong? Even Sourav Ganguly spoke about how Pakistan cricket has deteriorated. The promises made to fix Pakistan’s cricket are nothing but gimmicks,” he said on YouTube.

Meanwhile, Saeed Ajmal said Pakistan and India should play cricket matches against each other in their respective countries, citing that there is a lot of love between the two nations.

Pakistan last toured India in 2012/13 for a three-match T20I series and as many ODI games. India last played in Pakistan in 2008, when the Asia Cup was held there. Since 2007, there has been no Test series between the two teams. The dip in ties between the two nations has meant that India and Pakistan only play against each other in multi-nation events.

“Even if the India versus Pakistan match happens on the moon, it will be huge. There is a lot of love between India and Pakistan and we must go to each other’s countries,” said Ajmal .

An ICC delegation, which is due to visit Pakistan this month to ascertain the preparations for the Champions Trophy, will also discuss the tentative schedule of the event with the Pakistan Cricket Board. A source aware of developments said the PCB had still not been informed how many ICC officials were coming and which departments they would be representing but indications were the schedule would be discussed in detail. The PCB had sent a tentative schedule to the ICC sometime back in which they had suggested making Lahore the base of the Indian team.

“The schedule has now been seen by the participating boards in the Champions Trophy and there is still some work to be done before it is finalised and announced,” the source said.

“Obviously a final decision on whether the Indian team would be permitted by its government to play in Pakistan is one major reason for the schedule still being under consideration,” he added.

The ICC delegation will inspect the ongoing development work at the Champions Trophy venues Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi besides holding meetings with security officials and also revisiting broadcasting arrangements, team hotels and travel itineraries.

With BCCI secretary Jay Shah set to take over as ICC chairman from December 1, the source said the Champions Trophy schedule would be released late, like in last year’s World Cup in India.

Pakistan’s white and red ball head coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie have advised the country’s cricket board against changing the captains in haste after recent shoddy performances across formats. Babar Azam was sacked from white ball captaincy after 2023 ODI World Cup round robin exit in India and his replacement Shaheen Shah Afridi was removed after one bad series. Similarly in Tests, after Babar resigned, Shan Masood was named captain but after 0-2 Test series defeat to Bangladesh, there are calls for his immediate ouster.

A PCB source however told PTI that recent media speculations about Masood and Babar’s sacking is nothing more than kite flying.

“There has been no discussion on changing the captains as the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has left it up to the two coaches and selectors to decide on the captaincy,” he said.

“And Kirsten and Gillespie are very clear that Shan and Babar both need to be given a proper run before judging their leadership abilities,” the source added.

He said that both coaches wanted continuity in captaincy and have conveyed this to the board very clearly.

He also made it clear that the captaincy or team selections would not be up for discussion when the board holds its one-day workshop titled cricket connection later this month in Lahore.

“That workshop is being held to hear the views of all stakeholders, mainly the domestic team coaches, selectors and contracted players so that the board is able to bridge the gap between domestic cricket and international cricket standards,” he said.

The source also informed that Gillespie who would join via video link and Kirsten who would be present himself at the workshop had told the PCB chief that patience and continuity in policies was required to get long term results from the team across formats.

“The workshop is basically being held because both the coaches want the domestic team coaches to have a clear picture of what is required from them to ensure a flow of players who can be considered for selection for the national teams in all formats,” he said.

Asked who would be appointed captain for the ODI series later this year in Australia and South Africa or for the Champions Trophy, the source said it would probably be Babar to maintain continuity in white ball formats.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) team is expected to visit Pakistan in the coming weeks to take stock of preparations for next year’s Champions Trophy, scheduled to be hosted in Pakistan. As per the Sports Tak report, the ICC delegation is likely to come to Pakistan in the next few days (maximum 10 days) to inspect the preparations and other important aspects. After the ICC’s visit, the cricket governing body is expected to announce the schedule and also the sale of the tickets for the tournament.

Earlier this year, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) allocated Rs 12.80 billion for the upgradation of the three venues – Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, National Stadium in Karachi and Rawalpindi International Cricket Stadium – that will host the mega spectacle.

However, India’s participation in the tournament is still uncertain as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will follow the Central government’s instructions to decide on their involvement in the tournament.

Meanwhile, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi claimed he is in touch with BCCI regarding their Champions Trophy participation.

“Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan, we are in touch with the boards of the teams participating in the tournament,” Geo News quoted Naqvi as saying.

“We are in touch with Jay Shah; there are no concerns about his becoming ICC Chairman. The ACC meeting is on September 8 and 9. I will not be able to attend the meeting and Salman Nasir will attend. The meeting will finalise matters related to the new president,” he added.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah became the new ICC chairman last month which means he has to vacate his president role from the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) as well as from the home board.

Last year, India refused to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup and their matches were held in Colombo, Sri Lanka while the rest of the tournament was played in Pakistan.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi stated that there are no concerns about BCCI secretary Jay Shah becoming the International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman. At the end of the last month, Jay Shah was elected unopposed as the ICC Chairman. Shah was the sole nominee for the chairmanship after current chair Greg Barclay decided not to seek a third term. Naqvi opened up about Shah becoming the ICC chairman and the next Asian Cricket Council meeting.

“We are in touch with Jay Shah; there are no concerns about his becoming ICC Chairman. The ACC meeting is on September 8 and 9,” Naqvi told reporters, as quoted from Geo News.

Naqvi went on to confirm that he won’t be present in the meeting and said, “I will not be able to attend the meeting, and Salman Nasir will attend. The meeting will finalise matters related to the new president.”

Shah will assume this prestigious role on December 1, 2024. He is the youngest person to lead the ICC. He also joins the likes of Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan, and Shashank Manohar as Indians who have led the ICC in the past.

Pakistan will play host to next year’s ICC Champions Trophy. Karachi National Stadium, Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, and the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium are under renovation work for the marquee event.

Before the marquee event, Pakistan is struggling to find the form and produce positive results. In Jason Gillespie’s first assignment as Test head coach of Pakistan, the Shan Masood-led team hit rock bottom after enduring a whitewash against Bangladesh on their home soil.

Following the defeat, Pakistan dropped to eighth position in the ICC Test rankings, their lowest ranking in the format since 1965, barring the period where they did not have a place in the rankings due to an insufficient number of matches.

The Pakistan cricket team slumped to a shocking Test series loss against Bangladesh and their performance has resulted in a lot of criticism from both fans as well as experts. Pakistan were completely outplayed by Bangladesh in both the matches and the bowlers were criticised massively for their performances. The losses put Pakistan almost out of contention for the World Test Championship (WTC) final and former Pakistan cricket team fast bowler Yasir Arafat launched a scathing rant against the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and its officials. Arafat pointed out that Pakistan need to prepare for red-ball matches but the PCB have decided to organise the Champions Cup tournament which will feature one-day matches. He added that preparation is pivotal ahead of the crucial Test series against England. 

“This series is ending. Your grey areas have been highlighted. Fitness issues, technique issues, and pitches. Today I heard Jason Gillespie and the high-performance coach are going back to Australia. You are conducting an ODI tournament. These decisions I don’t understand. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is a circus,” Arafat said on YouTube.

“There are jokers in that, and this is a joke. You have a Test series against England coming up, and you are bringing players for ODIs. Shan Masood is saying in a press conference that our players have not played first-class cricket for 1.5 years. You have a big series against England coming up, and you are playing ODIs. This looks like a circus to me. The people who are working are jokers, and their decisions are jokes,” he added.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning to consider alternatives such as Sri Lanka or the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for hosting Pakistan’s Test series against England, according to Geo News.

In Jason Gillespie’s first assignment as Test head coach of Pakistan, the Shan Masood-led team hit rock bottom after enduring a whitewash against Bangladesh on their home soil.

During the two-match Test series, PCB had to shift the second Test to Rawalpindi, which was originally scheduled to be held in Karachi. Due to the ongoing construction work in Karachi National Stadium for next year’s Champions Trophy, it was not viable to host the second Test in Karachi.

As Karachi National Stadium, Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, and the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium continue to go under renovation work for the marquee event; it could be possible that Masood and his side would have to play in Sri Lanka or the UAE.

(With ANI inputs)

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will conduct stringent fitness tests before awarding central contracts for the next 12 months, bringing currently contracted players and other international and domestic performers into the ambit. The fitness test will be carried out between September 6 and 8 at Lahore and the process will be supervised by white ball head coach Gary Kirsten and the team’s physiotherapist and trainer. The players will then leave for Faisalabad for the Champions Cup.

“The fitness tests will basically decide which players make the contracts this year while performances would also be given priority,” a reliable source in the board said.

“Both the foreign coaches (Kirsten and Jason Gillespie) have made it clear to the selectors and PCB that their first criteria for selecting players will be their fitness status,” he added.

“Gillispie was not happy with the fitness of some players in the recent Test matches against Bangladesh and felt they were not able to sustain their intensity and endurance during all sessions of the Tests,” the source added.

He said Kirsten had also expressed similar feelings about the fitness level of some players when he met with the selectors and board officials.

“The fitness tests will comprise everything to determine how fit a player is, gym training, stamina and endurance runs, yo yo and other tests would also be held,” he added.

Presently, the PCB has awarded central contracts to around 27 players but indications are the number would be reduced this time given the performances of the national team in the last one year in all formats.

Pakistan were swept aside 2-0 in a recent Test series by Bangladesh leading to a lot of criticism of players and board officials.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah made history as he was named the new International Cricket Council Chairman. While discussions over Shah’s successor in the Indian board are intensifying, the name of his replacement as the Asian Cricket Council chief. As Shah takes up the ICC job, he would have to vacte not just the role of BCCI’s secreatary but also the chairman of ACC. As per a report, Pakistan Cricket Board chief Mohsin Naqvi is leading the race to be named the new ACC boss. 

A report in news agency PTI claims that Naqvi is set to replace Shah as thenew ACC boss, and the decision will be announced formally later this year. 

“When the ACC meets later this year, it will confirm that Naqvi will be the next president for a two-year term,” the PTI source quoted. “When Jay Shah steps down, the PCB chief will take over.”

Jay Shah On ICC Job

“I am humbled by the nomination as the Chair of the International Cricket Council,” Shah stated after being elected as the new ICC boss unopposed.

“I am committed to working closely with the ICC team and our member nations to further globalize cricket. We stand at a critical juncture where it is increasingly important to balance the coexistence of multiple formats, promote the adoption of advanced technologies, and introduce our marquee events to new global markets. Our goal is to make cricket more inclusive and popular than ever before.”

“While we will build on the valuable lessons learned, we must also embrace fresh thinking and innovation to elevate the love for cricket worldwide. The inclusion of our sport in the Olympics at LA 2028 represents a significant inflection point for the growth of cricket, and I am confident that it will drive the sport forward in unprecedented ways.”