Have you ever heard of a defending champion not included in the event next year? This happens in Pakistan. PCB’s bizarre ways!
Karachi Blues won the National Twenty20 last year but it was surprising to see they were not included in this year’s line-up. Hardly digestive is the fact that Twenty20 Cup teams are selected on the basis of their performances in the first-class tournament. PCB’s bizarre ways!
Since Karachi Blues finished last in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy hence they have no right to defend their Twenty20 title. PCB’s bizarre ways!
Since Karachi Blues finished last in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy hence they have no right to defend their Twenty20 title. PCB’s bizarre ways!
On further digging and taking information from a PCB official, who was scared with the mafia running the domestic cricket show, so refused to be named, said that it’s a continuation of stupidity committed last year.
The PCB had revamped the Twenty20 Cup in 2016 and the 18-team event was cut down to eight-team event. The criteria of selecting the team were also changed then, on the basis of first class performance. That was criticized last year as well. But the mafia did not change.
Luckily, Peshawar were the winners of Twenty20 in 2015 so on account of their top eight finish in the first class tournament they earned a place in the National Twenty20 Cup in 2016. But this year Karachi Blues are excluded. PCB’s bizarre ways!
So the eight participating teams Karachi Whites, Lahore Whites, Lahore Blues, Islamabad, FATA, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, and Faisalabad earned the rights of playing the National Twenty20 Cup starting in Multan from August 25 to September 10. The event will have no defending champions. PCB’s bizarre ways!
Interestingly, the drafting system introduced last year was also retained as PCB is overwhelmed by the success of Pakistan Super League, so anything or everything linked with it will continue as a relic. The teams were selected from a list of over 150 players from all over the country.
The story doesn’t end here. Around ten Pakistan players are summoned back home to play in the domestic event from the Caribbean Premier League. The CPL organizers will not be amused by this as their league will be hit by the absence of some key players
More interestingly the draft was held at a five star hotel in Lahore instead of the National Cricket Academy in Lahore where the PSL draft was held. When the draft of a lucrative and profitable PSL can be held at the NCA why was so much money spent this time around. PCB’s bizarre ways!
The story doesn’t end here. Around ten Pakistan players are summoned back home to play in the domestic event from the Caribbean Premier League. The CPL organizers will not be amused by this as their league will be hit by the absence of some key players.
They insist that PCB changed their plans and the Twenty20 Cup was not initially there. The West Indies Board could take a hard stance on that and can stop their players from playing in next edition of the PSL.
So PCB’s bizarre ways continues!
All participating teams were picked by their respective regional head, selector, captain and coach. Haroon Rasheed, Director Cricket Operations, PCB while addressing the ceremony expressed his pleasure at the organization of the tournament and hoped that the event will provide a platform for youngsters to showcase their talent.
The eight-team tournament will commence from August 25, 2017 in two phases, where the first round matches would be played in Multan till August 31, 2017. The second and final stage of the tournament would start on September 4, 2017 in Faisalabad and conclude on September 10, 2017.