Everything seemed to be going smoothly and UBL cricket team was also winning – the department recently won the national one-day cricket championship in January — when the authorities decided to close the team because of an impending financial crisis.
Informed sources said that only 0.2 percent of UBL’s profit from 2017 was the cost of running the UBL cricket team. Thus, the question of the cricket team being the reason for the drop in profit — if it really has dropped is questionable. It is the leadership possibly who will provide some explanation at a certain point
It was shocking for the entire cricket fraternity across the country as world’s leading batsman Younis Khan had joined UBL after leaving HBL which he had served for 18 years. He was tasked to groom the cricket team and build its academy on strong foundations.
UBL won the departmental national one-day championship in 2018 with Shan Masood scoring 1288 runs, a record in any domestic one-day championship of any country. Previously the record was held by Australia’s Michael Bevan.
Around 800 children were enrolled in the UBL academy. It was one of the most advanced academies in the country which trained children through a syllabus imported from Australia.
Nobody knows the reasons behind this stunning decision. It would be catastrophic for domestic cricket and a number of cricketers, coaches and officials would be deprived to their livelihood.
Those employed by the bank include such cricketers as Wahab Riaz, Rumman Raees, Muhammad Asghar, Saad Ali, Sohail Khan and Umar Akmal.
The players popularized the bank through their performances. If there is a crisis, it must definitely be due to the policies of institution not because of its cricket team. Instead of correcting the required policies, the management have chosen to close the cricket team.
It may be noted that it is a clear-cut directive of the government that the departments, including banks, are to establish at least three sports teams. It is unbelievable that UBL is closing its team of cricket, the most popular sport in the region.
It would be a great setback not only for the cricketers associated with UBL, but also for the domestic cricket system and the bank itself. It would be embarrassed in the sports world.
Informed sources said that only 0.2 percent of UBL’s profit from 2017 was the cost of running the UBL cricket team. Thus, the question of the cricket team being the reason for the drop in profit — if it really has dropped is questionable. It is the leadership possibly who will provide some explanation at a certain point.
It is not just to fire players at the pretext of profitability. These cricketers have been made scapegoat. These decisions have been taken before as well.
It has been learnt that great Younis Khan tried his best to rescue the team. He met the State Bank of Pakistan Governor Tariq Bajwa, seeking his help to rescue the team. But so far his efforts seemed to have failed, informed sources said.
Let’s see what happens. If UBL cricket team is not restored, it will be a great loss for the domestic cricket which is already shaken.
The role of banks, departments and institutions in the promotion, economic welfare and development of Pakistan’s sportspeople is unforgettable. If there is no departmental patronage in Pakistan, there will be no sports.
Whatever Pakistan has got in the world of sports is because of the services of banks and other departments which provide huge amount of funds, provide jobs to players and establish their own sports complexes, gymnasia and academies.
They produce hundreds of great sportspeople in various disciplines who conquer the world and hoist Pakistan’s green flag around the world — in cricket, hockey, squash, snooker.
The most prominent among them is, of course, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP).
Yes, NBP has done great things for Pakistan’s sports for more than five decades. It does not demand anything and keeps on silently doing a great job, providing best facilities to players. It has established at least seven teams in domestic sports, unmatched by any other department.
Recently, the NBP sports authorities decided to acknowledge and pay tribute to those sports stalwarts who contributed for Pakistan at international level and for the bank (NBP) at domestic level.
The EVP and head of CSR Mohsin Furqan said that to inform the younger generation of sports world, NBP has planned to establish a picture gallery at NBP stadium of those players who represented the bank in domestic sports and also establish stands, naming them after Iqbal Qasim, Wasim Hasan Raja, Nasim-ul Ghani, Wallis Mathias and Wazir Muhammad.
“It is time to inform the younger generation about how many greats were here,” Mohsin said.
They also plan to establish a gallery of the collection of the trophies and medals they won in domestic competitions.
NBP won dozens of national championships and trophies in various disciplines.
The NBP’s sports department plans to maintain its sports records in Pakistan’s sports arena and after Eid-ul-Fitr, it will inaugurate the players stand at the cricket stadium, pictures gallery and the trophies gallery.
“A colorful ceremony will be held on the occasion,” Mohsin said.