While dissolving departmental cricket to focus all energies on the six-regional first-class team structure was done with best intention to better serve the national side in Pakistan, a country battling major economical crisis has also seen the decision have a detrimental effect on a lot of the fringe players who have now fallen by the way side.
Yes, it would pain legendary all-rounder and Prime Minister Imran Khan to know but his idea followed in toto by the Pakistan Cricket Board, as always feared, has seen many Pakistani cricketers lost out on jobs that the departments supporting cricket in the nation provided.
Story of one such first-class cricketer, Fazal Subhan, went viral recently over social media as he was seen driving a pickup mini-truck in Karachi to earn his living and support his family.
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Not long ago, the 31-year-old was plying trade in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, country's premier domestic first-class competition.
Fazal also represented Pakistan in U-19 cricket and was once considered close to national selection by reputed voices.
"I worked so hard to play for Pakistan," Fazal can be heard expressing his grief in a video shared over Twitter by journalist Shoaib Jatt. "During departmental cricket, we were drawing a salary of Rs100,000 but since the departments have shut down we are down to Rs30,000-35,000, which is not enough to survive."
"I am grateful that at least I have this job right now because the way things are, who knows if I would even have this tomorrow. We have no choice; we have to do something for our children."
"He further reveals that the work he is doing currently is seasonal and sometimes he earns nothing for over ten days. Yes, I drive this (pickup) for bhara (fare). This is seasonal work. Some days there is a lot of work, and sometimes there is nothing for 10 days," he further revealed.
Fazal's heartfelt story didn't go unnoticed as Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez tweeted: "So sad Really , Like him & Many others r suffering, New system wil look after 200 players but 1000s of crickters & management staff r Unemployed bcos of this new model , I dont know who wil take the responsibility of this unemployment of cricket fraternity, for all the victims."
