Lahore: Young cricketers, who are facing unemployment and financial difficulties, appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to restore departmental and regional cricket, they also asked him to take immediate steps for their relief.

After the change of government, young cricketers expect that the new PM will understand their problems.

“The closure of departmental cricket during Imran Khan’s tenure has led us to unemployment and financial difficulties,” said a young cricketer.

The previous government led by cricketer-turned-politician Khan had decided to close sports departments in all major public sector institutions, as he altered the internal domestic cricket structure of Pakistan by creating associations. Khan was influenced by the domestic cricket played in UK and Australia.

Due to disbanding of departmental cricket, cricketers in lower categories have been jobless, as departments were known to provide players with a handsome salary package, but departments stopped investing in the cricketers because cricket played in associations only has six teams comprised of top tier players.

Many cricketers were forced to change professions, while some were forced into odd jobs to run their houses, while some couldn’t find employment at all.

Players are demanding that departmental cricket be restored, especially since it has helped many cricketers make it big ever since it was introduced more than five decades ago. Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq have all played departmental cricket.

Earlier PM Sharif promised sportspersons that their issues will be addressed but no official notifications have been issued yet.