Having not played for Pakistan in over three years, out-of-favour pacer Mohammad Abbas insisted that he is enjoying his stint with Hampshire in England's County cricket. Abbas last played for Pakistan during a Test against West Indies in August 2021, but has been ignored by the current management ever since. The 34-year-old just finished his fourth season with Hampshire, having previously represented Leicestershire for two seasons. Abbas hailed the England Cricket Board (ECB) for its high professional standards, even in county cricket.
"There is a lot of professionalism here [English Country]. You will see that from April to September, matches are held, including four-day matches, T20s, one-day tournaments, and even 100-ball games. But when the season finishes on September 30, they take only one and a half months to announce the schedule for the next season. I believe that by mid-November or the end of November, they announce their schedule. This is my sixth year, and not even a second of the schedule changes. Even with the death of Queen Elizabeth, the schedule did not change, and matches continued," Abbas was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Abbas also praised ECB's cricket system for its comprehensive support for players, taking care of their basic needs such as food, clothing and financial backing.
"The grounds are available, including food, clothing, match fees, and salaries. Everything is handled with great professionalism, and everything is done on time," he added.
On the contorary, Abbas highlighted the lack of a similar system in Pakistan cricket. He suggested that since PCB can't handle everything on its own, a players' association must be formed to discuss such issues.
"These things should happen for the betterment of domestic cricket in Pakistan. There should be a player association in Pakistan that can benefit the PCB because PCB has to manage everything. But if a players' association is formed, it will address the players' problems instead of the PCB. They can hold meetings and discuss the players' issues with PCB," he explained.