Misbah, Hafeez, Latif clash over domestic cricket plans

Misbah-ul-Haq, the head of the cricket committee in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), presided over a crucial meeting held in Lahore. The meeting involved prominent cricket figures, including former captains Rashid Latif and Mohammad Hafeez, the board's COO Salman Naseer, and Junaid Zia, the director of domestic cricket.

The primary focus of the meeting was to discuss and plan the upcoming domestic cricket season in accordance with the 2014 constitution. However, during the discussion, differences arose among the three former captains regarding the inclusion of regional teams and the type of cricket balls to be used.

According to a media report, Misbah advocated for the inclusion of eight regions in the forthcoming domestic season. In contrast, both Mohammad Hafeez and Rashid Latif expressed differing opinions. Hafeez proposed that only six regions should participate, while Rashid argued for a larger number of teams, suggesting the inclusion of 16 regions in First-Class cricket, with a particular emphasis on the participation of the Sialkot region in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

The report further added that another point of contention during the meeting was the selection of cricket balls for the domestic season. All three former cricketers expressed reservations about using Duke balls and instead favored the use of Kookaburra balls in domestic cricket. However, Junaid Zia informed them that the Duke balls had already been purchased and were non-returnable since they were specifically made to order.

The upcoming domestic cricket season is scheduled to kick off on September 1, commencing with the prestigious Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Simultaneously, the Pakistan Cup one-day tournament is expected to begin on September 6. Initially, eight regions and an equal number of departments are set to participate in the season.