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The Pakistan Cricket Board on July 15 decided to reduce duration of its central contracts from three years to one but opted against reducing payment to its players.

The decisions were taken during a meeting in Lahore called by PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

Among those present in the meeting were Pakistan’s new red-ball coach Jason Gillespie, white-ball coach Gary Kirsten, selectors Mohammad Yousuf and Asad Shafiq, assistant coach Azhar Mahmood and other senior officials.

The board said it intends to make significant overhauls to its policies after the national team’s debacle in the T20 World Cup, wherein Pakistan failed to make the Super Eight stage following defeats to India and the USA.

“The selectors have recommended no change in the financial part of the central contracts which would now be revised into 12-month contracts with players fitness, behaviour and form all to be assessed every 12 months,” a board official said.

Last year, the former PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf had an agreement with the players following which they were issued central contracts guaranteeing no change in agreement clauses and financials for a period of three years.

The official said PCB has now made it mandatory for all centrally and domestic contracted players to undergo fitness tests every three months. The two head coaches would regulate the tests.

It was also decided that while considering player applications to obtain NOCs to play foreign leagues, stringent technical guidelines would be followed wherein the primary objective would be to ensure the player’s fitness and availability for the national team.

“Only (those) players with a high fitness and performance criteria will receive NOCs, ensuring a high standard of representation in international leagues,” the official said.

It was decided in the meeting that all players will have to appear in domestic cricket mandatorily and selectors have been asked to monitor this before selecting any player for the national teams.

The official said everyone present in the meeting unanimously decided that there should be zero tolerance on disciplinary cases and instances of player making groups will be met with strict penalties, in order to uphold team unity and morale.

Plans are also underway to upgrade the high-performance centres nationwide to bolster grassroots cricket.

New centres in Islamabad and Peshawar are set to be established with Gillespie and Kirsten tasked to oversee these initiatives.

Pakistan’s Naseem Shah completed his quota of 10 overs but the pacer left the field in the 49th over of India’s innings in the Asia Cup encounter on September 11, 2023. 
| Photo Credit: AP

Pakistan pacers Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah’s participation in the remainder of the Asia Cup has been rendered doubtful after the duo picked up injuries during the Super 4 match against India.

The Pakistan team management said quicks Shahnawaz Dahani and Zaman Khan have been included as back-ups for Rauf and Naseem in their Asia Cup squad “as a precautionary measure”.

“Pakistan have called up Shahnawaz Dahani and Zaman Khan as backups. The two have been called up after Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah picked up niggles in the match against India,” read a statement from the Pakistan team.

“This is only a precautionary measure keeping in mind the fitness and well-being of the players ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup next month,” the management said.

Rauf, who had bowled five overs on Sunday, had felt “a little discomfort in his right flank” and did thus did not roll his arm or come out to bat against India when the match resumed on the reserve day on Monday.

Naseem completed his quota of 10 overs but the pacer left the field in the 49th over of India’s innings on Monday, holding his hand. He is suspected to have suffered an injury to his bowling shoulder. He also did not come out to bat as Pakistan ended their innings at 128 for 8, losing to India by a record margin of 228 runs.

The Pakistan team management said both Rauf and Naseem will be monitored over the next few days.

“Haris and Naseem will continue to remain under the observation of the team’s medical panel.The team management will only request replacement from the ACC technical committee if Naseem or Haris are ruled out for the next seven days,” the statement added.

Pakistan are scheduled to play their next match against Sri Lanka on Thursday and should they qualify, the final of the Asia Cup is slated for Sunday.

K.L. Rahul attends a practice session head of the Asia Cup 2023 one-day international match against Pakistan on September 10.
| Photo Credit: AFP

It’s my bat, I will set the rules. The rule that’s been the mantra in gully cricket seems to have been adopted for the Asia Cup as well, with a reserve day having been added for only one of the six Super 4s matches — between India and Pakistan.

That a reserve day will be added for the marquee clash was being whispered ever since the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) decided against moving the remaining matches from Colombo to Hambantota. On Friday, a notification issued for ticket-holders confirmed the move.

“If adverse weather suspends play during the Pakistan vs India game, the match will continue on September 11 from the point it was suspended,” stated the advisory, issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board, the tournament host. “In such an eventuality, ticket-holders are advised to hold on to their match tickets which will remain valid and will be utilised for the reserve day.”

When the tournament fixtures were announced, only the final had a reserve day.

Moreover, only one game having a reserve day may result in undue advantage for both the teams should weather play spoilsport for most of the Super 4s.

A competitive tournament — irrespective of the discipline and the level, even amateurish — is always played with the same rules for all the teams involved. No wonder that the other two teams in the tournament — Bangladesh and Sri Lanka — are disturbed with the development.

However, the head coaches of both the camps preferred to be cautious, considering the might of the ACC — whose president Jay Shah is also the BCCI secretary and the PCB is the host. “I have not seen anything like this earlier. This is something new. It’s not ideal,” said Chandika Hathurusingha, the Bangladesh head coach, on Friday, ahead of his team’s clash against Sri Lanka.

“We would love to have an extra day as well. Other than that I don’t have much comment because they (technical committee) have made a decision. There is a technical committee (in Asia Cup) represented by every participating country. They might have decided it with some other reason.”

Chris Silverwood, Hathurasingha’s Sri Lanka counterpart, was a little more conservative. “Little surprised when I first heard, but at the same time we are not the organisers of the competition so not a lot we can do about that,” Silverwood said.

“To be honest, it will be a problem if the reserve day then provides points to the teams and not someone else, but nothing we can do about, so we keep preparing and do the best we can.”

The Hindu gathers that the ACC acceded to the broadcaster’s demand after declining to shift the event out of Colombo. While the fans can hope for a likelihood of a full game — or at least a result — due to the reserve day, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh camps will keep their fingers crossed that the reserve day doesn’t turn out to be decisive in deciding the finalists.