The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to suspend its National Under-19 Championship (also known as the National Youth Championship) indefinitely. The tournament just started on Tuesday (September 10) and three games were played on the first day.
Teams had to play one game, then take a one-day break before playing again after three days of games.
The selection of the teams was done by the regional coaches appointed by the Pakistan Cricket Board. The selection committee also chose the council representative and the president.
The tournament had started as scheduled, but the organizers received the postponement order after the first day’s play, which came as a shock.
Although no further details were given about the postponement, it is believed that the decision was made due to some unavoidable circumstances.
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“Unavoidable circumstances” force PCB to suspend national under-19 championship
The news was announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board in an official press release. The Board of Directors said that the tournament has been suspended indefinitely and the new schedule will be announced later.
“The national championship among under-19 football players, which will start today, and the Cup, which will start on September 14, have been postponed due to unavoidable circumstances. The new schedule of both the tournaments will be shared in due course,” PCB said in a statement.
The Pakistan Cricket Board is believed to have spent a huge amount of money on organizing the tournament and fielding 18 regional teams.
But the tournament was postponed after PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi received complaints about team selection, forged documents and overage of players.
Fake documents and excessive age affect Pakistan cricket
The issue of fake documents and senior players is quite common in Pakistan cricket and such cases are reported every year.
Before selecting players, the board carries out x-rays of the wrist bone and has strict rules for submitting documents and selecting players for under-19 tournaments.
A PCB insider claimed that several cases of fake documents and over-age of players were confirmed and turned out to be true, prompting Mohsin Naqvi to take such a drastic step.
“The junior tournament is considered by the board to be key to nurturing the right talent for first-class cricket and international exposure, so despite a lengthy selection process, Mohsin Naqvi was concerned when he received several complaints, some of which were upheld. be true,” PTI reported.
Besides spending money on organizing the tournament, PCB also spent money on organizing transport, food and training camps for the teams. Kits and daily allowances were also given to the young cricketers.
The women’s under-19 tournament was supposed to start on September 16, but like the men’s under-19 tournament, it has been postponed. An announcement about this tournament will be made later.
