LAHORE – The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) set to relieve around 100 contracted employees whose contracts are going expired on June 30, reports said.
According to a reports, around 100 contracted employees including seven ex-cricketers contracts are set to complete on June 30 and all of them have been issued letters regarding expiry of their contracts and these contracts could be renewed only after the approval of PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf, who is presently attending the ICC Annual meeting being held at Kuala Lumpur, and he will return on June 30, the last day of their contract. The PCB chief will issue order for contracts renewal of only those staffers whom he feels necessary for their jobs and posts. The employees’ contracts will be terminated due to financial crunch faced by the cricket board.
The employees, including seven former cricketers, have been started feeling the heat as it is very difficult for them to earn the bread and butter for their families in these difficult conditions and the prevailing price hike in the country despite having no other way of earning. The PCB should acknowledge the former cricketers’ services and achievements for the country and oblige them by renewing their contracts, the source added. He said that these employees would make appeal to the PCB chief for renewal of their contracts and if, the board required their services, then they will get extension and if not then they would be should be relieved from their jobs, the source added.
If the PCB want to utilize austerity measures then a lot of officials are working on deputation in the board. They should be repatriated to their parent departments to save money and accommodate these poor employees of the board for their survival. The source said that these officers who recently joined the board and are working on deputation, if they leave the board, the jobs of more than fifty percent employees could be saved. Now, it is up to the PCB chief either prefer to oblige his blue eyed or save the jobs of contractual employees by extending their contracts. The cricket board presently facing financial crisis as no team bothers to visit Pakistan due to security concern after the terrorists attack on Sri Lankan team in 2009 in Lahore which forced Pakistan to play their home series at neutral venues.
These series have been played on no-loss and no-profit basis and that created financial crunch for the PCB, the source claimed. In a recently-held meeting of the PCB Governing Board held at Naudero, the Governing Board approved board’s deficit budget and now it just banking on Indian bilateral series which Zaka Ashraf feels will be held soon. If it happens then there will be some relief for the board to meet its expenses, the source added. If, it not happens, then there will be some difficulty to pull on with the expenses of the board and it may create some trouble for them to pay staff salaries and other expenses, the source said.
Zaka is trying his utmost to compel India to host Pakistan series there or anywhere else as Pakistan is ready to play with them where they want, the source added. The PCB chief and COO Subhan Ahmed are presently in Kuala Lumpur to attend the ICC Board meeting where they are set to discuss the Pakistan-India series and also discuss the issue with their Indian counterparts for hosting One-day or Twenty20 series in December because of Indian team’s busy schedule. India has the 20 days between December 23, 2012 and January 10, 2013 and during this period, they can host Pakistan and also visit to Pakistan. -Pakistantoday
