KARACHI: Sindh is considering a plan to set up its own cricket board so that players in the province who are being ‘unfairly treated’ can avail equal opportunities to showcase and further groom their talent.
This was stated by minister Nasir Shah during the Question Hour session that pertained to the sports and youth affairs department during the Sindh Assembly’s Tuesday session. Mr Shah was responding to lawmakers’ queries on behalf of sports minister Mohammad Bux Mahar who was not present.
Responding to a question by Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) legislator Nusrat Abbasi regarding the condition of Makli cricket stadium, Mr Shah said that the stadium was being managed under the control of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He conceded that the condition of the stadium was poor and assured the legislator that the Sindh government planned to take up the issue with the PCB; if the board could not properly maintain the stadium it should be handed over to the provincial government.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) legislator Heer Soho asked why the Makli stadium had been occupied and what had the government done in the past eight years to get it vacated. Mr Shah conceded that certain organisation(s) had occupied some grounds and other buildings, and efforts were being made to get these vacated and hopefully they would soon be recovered.
Responding to a question by MQM legislator Saifuddin Khalid that if the Sindh government, while giving land to PCB, had put a condition that if the ground/land were misused it would be taken back, the minister responded that the land was given in 2002 and the government at that time did not put such a condition in the agreement. But the Sindh government was reviewing the agreement and if the land was not properly managed by the PCB it would be taken back.
The minister, agreeing with MQM legislator Waqar Shah that PCB was not giving due importance to cricketing activities in Sindh, said that during the last tour of the Zimbabwe cricket team, the Sindh government had asked PCB to organise at least one match in the province while assuring that full security and other facilities would be provided; but no match was held in Sindh. He said that owing to such ‘unfair treatment’ by PCB, the Sindh government was considering a proposal to set up its own cricket board so that not only would cricket activities be resumed, but the players, who were discriminated against, could get opportunities to show and further groom their talent.
MQM legislator Qamar Rizvi raised a question about the Jahangir Khan Squash Complex which he said had been demolished and a new structure raised on the site. Mr Shah responded that the land on Kashmir Road was owned by PIA and Jahangir Khan was constructing four squash courts and three tennis courts there.
Another question further inquired why half of the newly constructed building had been demolished with money from public funds wasted, to which the minister said that Jahangir Khan was constructing the complex with private funds and Sindh government money was not involved.
Responding to a question by Ms Abbasi regarding jobs given in the department, the minister said that seven jobs — from sanitary worker in BPS-1 to assistant in BPS-14 — were given between 2010 and 2013. To another question he said that the department planned to recruit around 250 people for which advertisements had been given in the media. He said that the department would recruit up to BPS-14 while employees above that group would be recruited through the Sindh Public Service Commission.
Responding to a question by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf legislator Seema Zia regarding women playing cricket, the minister said that these pertained to PCB/Pakistan Sports Board. However, the government organised games at divisional levels and also between universities etc in which women players also participated. He said that last year the Sindh government had assisted a women’s team when it went to Australia. When and if the Sindh cricket board was set up it would also facilitate women’s cricket, he added.
MQM legislators Zubair Khan and Kamran Akhtar, Rafique Bhanbhan of PML-F and others also participated.