Want to see foreign stars play in Pakistan's domestic circuit one day: PCB's Ehsan Mani

Want to see foreign stars play in Pakistan's domestic circuit one day: PCB's Ehsan Mani

By Web Desk
July 22, 2020
Mani urges opponents of new domestic circuit to see the big picture.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani has launched a staunch defence of the new domestic structure introduced under him last year, explaining that he sees the system getting so strong that it might even attract foreign cricketers.

While England and Australia's first-class leagues regularly attract overseas players, same cannot be said about Pakistan, with the PCB even struggling to find a sponsor for its premier domestic tournament. Despite the revamped circuit's inaugural season being rather low-key, the PCB chairman has big aspirations.

"I want to see foreign cricketers play in Pakistan's first-class cricket. The new domestic structure will play an important role in realisation of this dream," Mani said in a podcast

At the centre of Mani's domestic renovation lies the trimming of the first-class season to just six teams - a move vehemently opposed by the local cricket fraternity who say scrapping departmental cricket has been a kick in the teeth during a bad economy.

Mani, though, has urged the dissenters to see the big picture. 

"The new system will provide former cricketers with greater employment opportunities. These ex-cricketers will also have to understand that before there only used to be a PCB but now six other associations will also be generating employment," he said.

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