PAK vs AUS: Pakistan Cricket Board Could Impose Strict Rules To Forbid Agents From Signing Several Players - Reports

In a recent development, the Pakistan Cricket Board is aiming to institute a rule preventing player agents or companies from representing more than 2 to 3 players from Pakistan concurrently. The apex governing body of cricket of Pakistan is overseeing the Board’s affairs and it is poised to decide on this regulation soon.

The Board has been prompted by multiple agencies signing multiple Pakistani players and officials for representation. Notably, Talha Rehmani and Saya Corporation, representing 7-8 leading players, sparked the realization and the PCB has discovered that the International Cricketers Association (ICA) also holds contracts with several of its players like Sarfaraz Ahmed, Imam Ul Haq, and Muhammad Hasnain.

Concerned about these developments, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Zaka Ashraf has instructed the legal department to draft new regulations for scrutinizing agents/companies, limiting the clients they can have simultaneously in Pakistan cricket, as per reports in PTI.

The ICA having connections with key figures like Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Adam Hollioake and Kamran Akmal has raised apprehensions about concentrated influence in team matters as explained by Zaka Ashraf in various interviews.

In a recently leaked audio conversation, Ashraf revealed that when the Pakistan Cricket Board proposed the Test captaincy to Babar Azam after the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, his agent Talha Rehmani advised him to relinquish the captaincy in all 3 formats.

It could also be seen from an angle of these agencies interfering in personal as well as national matters. Zaka Ashraf claimed that these agencies having so many players at once, makes it easier for them to have a say in internal things and also leak private information.

“These agents basically have a lot of influence and power in the team through their clientele and we are trying to deal with that.” – Ashraf said in a leaked audio. 

Former Pakistan Chief selector Inzamam Ul-Haq had given his resignation after reports came to the fore about the former national team captain running a sports marketing company along with Rizwan and Rehmani. The PCB was in fact looking to get deep into the matter as Inzamam was being paid by the Board but as soon as Inzamam submitted his resignation, the PCB dismissed any such enquiry.

Pakistan Cricket Team Set For Boxing Day 2nd Test At The Land Down Under Amid Tensions Back Home

After suffering an embarrassing loss in the first Test by 360 runs, Pakistan will be aiming to put up a fight in the 2nd Test to save themselves from another embarrassment. Australia had set up a 1st inning total of 487 thanks to which Pakistan responded with their 1st inning score of 271.

The Aussies would then declare after scoring 233 thanks to Usman Khawaja’s 90, Steve Smith’s 45 and Mitchell Marsh’s unbeaten 63. Pakistan received a target of 450 runs and it was almost as if climbing a mountain. Their batting order collapsed dramatically with none of the batters even able to score 30 runs.

Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood took 3 wickets each while Pat Cummins took 1 and Nathan Lyon took a brace of wickets to get Pakistan all out for just 89. The 2nd Test will commence on December 26 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.