The presidents and other office-bearers Faisalabad and Sargodha Cricket Association have welcomed the imposition of ad hoc on the Regional Cricket Associations of Faisalabad, Lahore, Sialkot, Abbotabad, Karachi etc by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). And they also rejoiced at the fact that the stay order by a court of law had also been vacated, upholding the PCB’s decision with regard to the ad hoc.
Speaking to this scribe, all major officials of the district associations were unanimous in hailing the decision, saying that it would pave the way to the fair and free elections by the interim committees after which the Regions would become fully operational, and cricket in the heart of central Punjab shall flourish and cricketers shall be looked after.
The district cricket association officials of Faisalabad and Sargodha both said, not only in our region but everywhere else that the PCB has clamped ad hoc, the regional officials had overstayed their term period and elections were long overdue.
Shahid Mehmood, president of Faisalabad Cricket Association and treasure Aziz Ahmed said, “The ad hoc followed by elections is a correct step. The term of the previous officials had expired two and a half years ago, and the elections were still not being held, because the previous office-bearers wanted to continue to cling to their positions undemocratically. Now after the PCB’s scrutiny committee has done its job, when the elections are held under a neutral setup those who keep the interest of cricketers from this region would come forth and promote cricket here”.
The office-bearers of Sargodha District Cricket Association – Amjad Sohail, president, Kaleem Alam, secretary, Akhtar Ali, treasure – also expressed much similar views. “The ad hoc been quite justifiably imposed. What else could the PCB have done when the previous officials years after the expiry of their terms would still not hold elections? We are indeed very happy and satisfied because the ad hoc would pave the way to the elections, after which whoever is elected shall promote cricket in the region instead of taking personal benefits”, said Amjad Sohail, president SDCA.
“Sargodha has given various national teams nearly half a dozen players in recent years, the most notable of these being Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez. The reason it has not produced young talent of similar quality has a lot to do with the kind of officials who were ruling the roost in the Region. Now it is all going to change”, said Kaleem Alam, secretary SDCA.
