Learning from Pakistan

Politically Pakistan might not be the most enlightened nation in the world, but a huge revamp of its cricketing structure has included some exceptionally enlightened and democratic ideas. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has started with the basics, by redrawing a map of the nation to ensure that the sides and the administration are as representative as possible. The 35 old associations have been abolished and replaced with 99 "divisions". These divisions incorporate the entire country - including the north-western provinces which have previously not had representation and which usually only make the news for reasons associated with Osama bin Laden. These will not be empty associations either (such as those in Kenya which have received huge amounts of funding despite having no players - funding which has subsequently vanished), the passion for the game has risen dramatically in this part of the country - something witnessed by the appearance of players like Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Yasir Hameed, Umar Gal and Riaz Afridi in the national side. The PCB has undertaken to ensure that each of the 99 divisions has at least three turf pitches of a good standard, four practice pitches, a pavilion and seating for a modest crowd. They have already built 34 new grounds and have upgraded the facilities in 10 other divisions to ensure that they are up to scratch.

The 99 divisions will play each other in 9 regional competitions - each competition including the teams encompased by one of the first-class associations (except for Lahore and Karachi which will stage one divisional competition apiece, but will provide two first-class sides due to their size). If this were to occur in New Zealand you might see a competition incorporating Wellington City, the Hutt Valley and other teams within the region encompassed by the Wellington first-class association playing each other, with similar competitions in each of Northern Districts, Auckland, Central Districts, Canterbury and Otago. This structure would see a club cricketer aiming to graduate to his divisional side and then to his first-class side and then to the test team.

This all seems perfectly logical and sensible, and it is remarkable that no-one has thought of it before. Or perhaps they have. The problem with most cricketing structures is that they are ancient and have developed over time and in a rather haphazard nature. The age and sentiment attached to them makes change a very difficult proposition.

But lets put sentiment a side and take a look at the current structure of divisional cricket in New Zealand (and it may surprise you to know that it exists, such is its low profile). A team like Hutt Valley might play two games a season in the Hawke Cup competition if they hold the cup, or only one if they don't, and, if the Wellington Association decides to organise them, the odd warm-up or trial match. Representative sides like these exist in a weird sort of limbo, tagged on to the structure of the game and generally ignored by everyone - including first-class selectors who generally rely on club cricket as an indicator of form and talent.

The game in New Zealand is built on remarkably unsteady roots and the addition of a decent divisional structure might be one way to make these roots stronger. Realistically we currently only have two levels of cricket beneath the test game - first-class cricket and club cricket. Club cricket is played on substandard wickets and the first-class season is exceptionally short. The task of upgrading every club wicket is probably beyond us, but playing a divisional competition on the best club wickets might be possible. The competition could be staged on weekends at the same time as club cricket, and being regional this should mean very little additional administrative and organisational cost.

If divisional cricket seems like an unnecessary layer to the game in New Zealand, then we should do the unsentimental thing and scrap the Hawke Cup competition altogether. We could use the money saved by doing this to extend the first-class season. The old argument was that the first-class season had to be short because players couldn't afford to take more time off work to compete in it, but the professional era has put paid to that.

Whatever we do, more cricket of a higher standard is what our promising cricketers need. The current system fails to give them that and it is time to be a little inventive. Pakistan is one place showing us how.