LAHORE - Former Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) president Khawaja Nadeem Ahmad has called for amending the LCCA constitution to frame laws to root out corruption and nepotism at grassroots level.
"If elected for the second successive term in the August 8 elections, I will propose amendments in the existing constitution of the LCCA and will take Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in confidence on it to clean the game from various ills we are facing at club level,” he said here on Tuesday.
He said during the 10-month tenure of the interim committee of the LCCA headed by Aizad Hussain Syed, immense damage was done to the club level cricket due to wrongdoings and the old culture of corruption and favoritism was revived which had already ruined the game for almost 23 years in the past. "During our previous tenure of three years, a record cricket activity was generated at early level and clubs were engaged in various tournaments and leagues,” he said.
"Due to lull in such activities during the time period of the interim committee, Lahore cricket suffered a lot and the deserving cricketers were sidelined and back door selections were made in various national teams including Quaid-e-Azam trophy in which Lahore fielded two teams and both produced dismal results,” he claimed. "We spent all the resources on launching cricket tournaments and private business houses supported our efforts by pumping in funds and results produced during our three year tenure speak volume of our committed efforts for the cause of club cricket,” Nadeem added.
He said formation of laws to end corruption was imperative to discourage the efforts of some quarters who even tried in the past to take control of the game by inducting their own favourites in different teams of Lahore setting aside the criteria of merit and performance.
"We will equip the LCCA ground with most modern lights to start night cricket as Punjab government has already promised us to provide financial assistance for the project, besides we will be seeking cooperation from the PCB to redesign the existing pavilion of LCCA,” he concluded.