Cricket: Observers appointed for President’s Trophy

PCB introduces new system as domestic season got underway yesterday.


Nabeel Hashmi October 03, 2012

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed independent observers for the President’s Trophy which got the domestic season underway yesterday.

Head coaches of the affiliated regions have been assigned the task to monitor the four-day matches in order to check the conduct of players, umpires, analysts and even match referees. In addition, the observers will also prepare reports on the behaviour of the pitch, outfield and the ball on a daily basis and submit them to PCB Director-General Javed Miandad.

“This step has been taken to improve the quality of cricket,” a PCB official told The Express Tribune. “This will also ensure that there are neutral observers in domestic matches who will report events, mishaps and cases of neglect without any bias.”

The official added that the board had received several complaints over poor umpiring last year and most of them proved to be wrong which is also a reason behind appointing the observers.

“When a mistake helps a team, it is termed human error and when it goes against them it is labelled as bias. In addition, we’ll have experts in the future who can read conditions easily and can go on and help the national team as well with their expertise at home or abroad.”

Faisal smashes ton for PIA

Meanwhile, Test-discard Faisal Iqbal launched the new domestic season in style by scoring an exact century to help PIA end the opening day on 303 for eight against SBP in their President’s Trophy match at the National Stadium yesterday.

Put into bat, PIA’s early jitters were put to rest by Iqbal who consumed only 127 deliveries while hitting 13 fours and two sixes.

“My aim is to score as many runs so I can and get back into the national squad,” Iqbal told i. “I wanted to score a big century but couldn’t because of losing my composure in the heat.”

UBL stand tough against PQA

In the match at the NBP Stadium, UBL defied PQA ‘s potent bowling attack as Ali Asad (59), Saad Surkhail (47) and Khaan Arsal (46) guided their team to 242 for seven. Pacer Mohammad Talha bagged a four-wicket haul while Abdur Rauf took two wickets.

Meanwhile, Fawad Alam struck an unbeaten 113 off 171 balls to propel NBP to 273 for four against HBL at the Gaddafi Stadium. Elsewhere, KRL scored 293 for four against ZTBL at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot with Zain Abbas top-scoring with 50. SNGPL’s Asad Ali grabbed three wickets and Yasir Shah took two to restrict Wapda to 178 for eight at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4th, 2012.

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