KARACHI: Efforts to fully restore departmental cricket in country faced a dent on Tuesday when SSGC informed the Pakistan Cricket Board that they’re withdrawing from department’s first-class tournament “President Trophy”.
The tournament is scheduled to start on December 16th. Oter than SSGC, teams from WAPDA, KRL, State Bank, HEC, SNGPL and Ghani Glass were slotted to take part in the 8-team tournament.
At least two officials in PCB confirmed to Geo News that SSGCS has informed them about the decision to withdraw from the tournament. However, they are waiting for them to provide the update in writing.
A source close to the department told this correspondent that the sports department of SSGC had completed all preparation, including signing of top cricketers but the senior management has decided against fielding the team due to budget constraint.
Department cricket was discontinued during PTI's government and PCB had adopted the structure of six regional teams. The domestic structure took the reverse gear when Shahbaz Sharif led PDM government took the charge and Najam Sethi was named chairman of PCB management committee.
Earlier this year, the PCB had announced to organised separate first-class tournaments for regions and departments
Though PCB on multiple occasion had claimed that “several departments” have agreed to restore their teams, the fact remains that there was lesser interest displayed by the authorities.
Sources have confirmed that departments like National Bank, KPT and PQA had also declined to participate in the event earlier.
The PCB will now work on re-draw for the tournament. According to sources, the domestic cricket department is keep to continue President Trophy as a 7-teams tournament instead of promoting a team from grade II.
SSGC also shared their version on the matter after the development.
“As you know that SSGC is a Public Sector Utility Company listed on Stock Exchange, so with the inception of winter season, SSGC's top proirity is to ensure uninterrupted gas supplies to its over 3 million customers,” the department stated.
“The management is keenly focused to serve its customers, while combating tough challenges in the backdrop of widening demand and supplies gap. Hence there is lesser focus on other activities including sports.
“Accordingly, we are pursuing our sports activties in a limited manner, that's why we have withdrawn our cricket team from this tournament.
“Kindly note that SSGC has recently been crowned as National Champions after winning National Cycling Championship in Lahore in which our cyclists also set up new national records. So presently sports activities are being perused, but with limited scope.”
Faizan Lakhani Faizan Lakhani is Deputy Editor (Sports) at Geo News.