KARACHI: Geo News is hosting a special panel discussion, Cricket Ka Muqadma, bringing together current and former cricketers, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials and experts to debate the challenges, shortcomings and future of Pakistan cricket.
The programme features former captain Mohammad Hafeez, batting great Younis Khan, Test captain Shan Masood, PCB official Aaqib Javed, and others who will share their views on key issues facing the sport.
The discussion will explore the state of domestic cricket, proposed reforms and the direction of Pakistan cricket.
Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) president Khalid Mahmood said school and college cricket must be prioritised to improve the standard of the game.
He said there was now a growing trend among players to earn more money in a shorter period, adding that fast bowlers in the past regularly bowled 30 to 35 overs, whereas players today were no longer willing to put in that level of effort.
Former chief selector Haroon Rasheed said grassroots cricket had been neglected and stressed that the game could not improve unless the role of departmental cricket was strengthened. He also called for better cricket infrastructure, saying pitches across the country must be improved.
Former captain Younis Khan said Pakistan needed to strike the right balance between red-ball and white-ball cricket. He noted that the country’s domestic cricket was once of a very high standard and Pakistan consistently ranked among the world’s top five teams across all formats.
He warned against blindly copying other countries’ policies, saying Pakistan had forgotten its own identity, while adding that every player now wanted to play all formats of the game.
Cricketer Fawad Alam said performance should remain the only criterion for selection and called for an end to favouritism in Pakistan cricket.
He said a player who had established himself in Test cricket should have little difficulty adapting to One-Day Internationals and T20 cricket.
Fawad questioned whether any notable player had emerged after departmental cricket was discontinued in 2006 and criticised the disparity in player payments, saying T20 fees were being increased while first-class cricket continued to be neglected.
He also urged selectors to assess players based on the pitches and conditions in which they perform and recommended that selectors be required to attend first-class matches.
Quetta Gladiators owner Nadeem Omar said Pakistan would have to restore its previous cricket structure if it wanted to improve the game.
Former captain Mohammad Hafeez said the stronger the foundation of Pakistan’s red-ball cricket, the stronger the country’s overall cricket would become.
Test captain Shan Masood said there was no format of the game greater than Test cricket.
This is a developing story and is being updated with more details.
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