KARACHI: The mismanagement in the PCB’s ticketing department were exposed on the very first day of the PSL’s Pakistan leg matches, after they failed to maintain the proper policy of distributing their free tickets and passes to former cricketers of the game.
A number of former Test cricketers residing in the city have yet get their passes and tickets of the PSL matches, scoreline.orglearnt on Saturday.
A former Test cricketer, who represented Pakistan in a number of Test matches informed this scribe that he has received only two tickets of an enclosure in which the Teflon roof has yet to be installed — that too after his paying multiple visits to the stadium.
The former greats complained that the PCB and National Stadium’s management failed to distribute the ticket and passes to former noteworthy players – as is customary in all Test-playing nations.
Another former Test cricketer said: “Due to the security measures, we can not enter the stadium, and the NSK manager Arshad Khan — who has been assigned to distribute the passes – is not receiving calls of the former cricketers trying to reach him to get their passes.” He mentioned that he still has not received his passes.
He informed this scribe that during the tenure of the Shaharyar Khan and Najam Sethi-led PCB management, the free passes and tickets of VIP enclosures were either posted to their residences, or delivered by hand. He also mentioned that they would receive more passes than just these two.
Najam Sethi distributed the free passes and tickets to each former Test cricketer of the Hanif Mohammad, Asif Iqbal and Majid Khan enclosures.
A group of former Test cricketer said in England, Australia and other countries, they honoured their former Test cricketers in separate enclosures and facilitated them when matches were organised in their cities.
They said the new managing director of PCB, Wasim Khan, who came to Pakistan from England “must know how these countries honour and treat their former greats”.
They appealed to the PCB chairman Ehsan Mani and Wasim Khan to take notice of this mismanagement and wrongdoings, and asked why the PCB and NSK’s management treated the former greats of the game in that manner.
Whatever jubilation of the PSL matches is being observed in the city is entirely because of the cricket fraternity, who are the true stakeholders of this game, they lamented and asked why they have been deprived of the passes and tickets of PSL matches.
They also questioned why passes and tickets of only two matches were being handed out and why not the passes for all the remaining matches at a time.
It is pertinent to note that not many Test cricketers live in the city, as only handful number of cricketers are residing here, while some have migrated to other countries.
It is also interesting to note that some former Test cricketers who are doing jobs in the PCB are also treated in the same way as if they are not part of the PCB.