One day after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) launched the National Junior Championship, an Under-19 competition, authorities and players were notified that it would be delayed.
In a brief press release, the PCB provided an explanation for the sudden call, stating that the postponement was “due to unavoidable circumstances.” A substantial sum of money was invested in bringing the participants together.
An insider of the governing board revealed that the indeterminate delay resulted from falsified documents, which was the primary cause of problems in team selection and many instances of age fraud. Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairperson, was informed of these incidents. Additionally, the insider disclosed that several of those accusations proved to be true.
The PCB has already faced criticism on a number of fronts.
The representative, as cited by News18, said, “Despite a lengthy selection process, Mohsin Naqvi was disturbed when he received a number of complaints, some of which were authenticated to be correct. The junior tournament is considered the backbone for producing the right talent for first-class cricket and international exposure by the board.”
All eighteen teams had training camps funded by the PCB, in addition to daily allowances and kits totalling allegedly millions of rupees. The teams reportedly received food, lodging and transportation.
The PCB assigned regional coaches to oversee player selection, with the president of the relevant region and the board representative serving as essential members of the selection panel.
Champions One-Day Cup 2024 is still receiving criticism.
The PCB has also decided to postpone the national women’s U-19 competition, which was initially slated to start on September 16, 2024, in addition to the National Junior Championship.
The main one at the moment is the Champions One-Day Cup 2024. Former cricket players Ahmed Shehzad and Danish Kaneria have taken a strong stance against the PCB, accusing it of not placing enough emphasis on Test cricket and failing to devise new plans in the wake of a humiliating loss to Bangladesh at home.
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The aforementioned competition is scheduled to start today and conclude on September 19, 2024.
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