After not playing for Pakistan for more than three years, out-of-favour player Mohammad Abbas insisted he is enjoying his time in Hampshire in English county cricket. Abbas last played for Pakistan during a Test against the West Indies in August 2021 but has since been ignored by the current management. The 34-year-old has just completed his fourth season with Hampshire after previously representing Leicestershire for two seasons. Abbas hailed the England Cricket Board (ECB) for its high professional standards, even in county cricket.
“There is a lot of professionalism here [English Country]. You will see matches taking place from April to September, including four-day matches, T20s, one-day tournaments and even 100-ball games. But when the season ends on September 30, they only take a month and a half to announce the next season’s schedule. I think by mid-November or end of November they will announce their schedule. This is my sixth year and not a second of the schedule has changed. Even with the death of Queen Elizabeth, the schedule did not change and the matches continued,” Abbas was quoted as saying Cricket Pakistan.
Abbas also praised the ECB cricket system for its comprehensive support to the players by taking care of their basic needs like food, clothing and financial support.
“Grounds are available including food, clothing, match fees and wages. Everything is handled with great professionalism and everything is done on time,” he added.
On the other hand, Abbas highlighted the lack of such a system in Pakistan cricket. He suggested that since the PCB cannot handle everything on its own, a players’ association should be formed to discuss such issues.
“These things need to happen for the betterment of national cricket in Pakistan. There should be a players association in Pakistan which can be beneficial to PCB because PCB should rule everything. But if a players’ association is formed, it will deal with the players’ problems instead of the PCB, they can hold meetings and discuss the players’ problems with the PCB,” he explained.
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