LAHORE: The city cricket associations of the country are now thinking of giving regional central contracts to players once again at the domestic level, in an attempt to boost professionalism and to ensure their livelihood throughout the off seasons.
“We have already worked out a plan to give regional players central contracts,” Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) President Khawaja Nadeem told The Express Tribune. “In the past several years the standard of the city associations has gone down as most of our best players at the regional level have been taken by departments leaving the region reeling with a weak squad.”
Nadeem acknowledged that a permanent source of income for the players was vital and said, “We have chalked out a programme so that players stick with the region. The plan is almost ready to be presented to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), without whom we cannot go forth as they’re our sole sponsors.”
Mixed reactions
Meanwhile, the idea of establishing a players’ association has been met with mixed reactions after it was brought up once again by former captains and cricketers after the death of first- class cricketer Aamer Bashir.
“As far as the players’ welfare is concerned, the association might be successful,” a PCB official told The Express Tribune. “But once it’s associated with the PCB they can start exerting their influence in a wrong way in the long term.”
However, Wasim Akram supported the idea and said, “There must be an association for the welfare of players especially for the former ones. I have sympathies with Aamer’s family.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 23rd, 2010.
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