JEDDAH, 24 June 2004 — The Central Cricket Control Board (CCCB) has announced its plans to organize international cricket in Saudi Arabia. It also intends to send teams from the Kingdom to play abroad. All these are likely before the yearend. “Plans are under way to send a senior team and a youth team abroad. They will play seven matches each on their overseas tours,” Shahid Amin, president and chief executive officer of the CCCB, told reporters at Jeddah Cricket League’s (JCL) prize distribution ceremony held on Tuesday night.
Scores of prizes were distributed to winning and runner-up teams and to individuals for their exceptional performances with bat, ball and fielding during various tournaments in 2003-04. Sameer Maddah, deputy director general of King Abdul Aziz International Airport, was the chief guest.
“Jeddah has been the pioneer of cricket in the Kingdom. It must remain in the forefront and score over other cities,” Maddah said, adding that the grant of license by General Presidency of Youth Welfare should facilitate more activities on the cricket grounds. “Shahid Amin has been in constant touch with me for 10 years and I consider him a good friend.”
Shahid Amin, also president of JCL, thanked Maddah for allowing the use of grounds that has enabled the number of cricket teams to grow from two then to 38 now. Additionally, there are a dozen registered schools playing in different age groups - Under-13, U-15, U-17 and U-19.
He announced that the final of Arab News-sponsored U-19 tournament will be played on July 1. The Saudi Gazette-sponsored U-15 tournament will follow in September.
The decision to stage international cricket follows the grant of a license by General Presidency of Youth Welfare under the patronship of Zainal Alireza. Alireza and Shahid Amin, both founders and pioneers of cricket in the Kingdom, are currently planning the future of international cricket in the Kingdom and abroad. “Overseas match venues will be announced after sponsorship deals are finalized,” said Shahid Amin who teams with Afsar Faheem as the official spokesmen for CCCB.
In an effort to select “fair and true representative” teams of the Kingdom, CCCB held a meeting recently and appointed a national selection committee consisting of Aijaz Khan of JCL , Shahbaz Anwar Baig of Yanbu Cricket League (YCL), Jamil Hashim of Madinah Cricket Association (MCA) and Farhat Mahmood of Eastern Province Cricket Association (EPCA). Farhat will officiate until EPCA committee nominates a candidate.
Aijaz Khan and Shahbaz have played first class cricket in India and Pakistan respectively and have represented their organizations JCL and YCL in most national events conducted in the Kingdom. Both played a major role in the selection of Saudi U-17 Team that took part in International Cricket Council (ICC)-Asia region’s 10-nation tournament held in Pakistan in July 2000. Asian Cricket Council (ACC) was already in existence but ICC delegated them the regional powers only in December 2001.
Shahbaz accompanied the Saudi team as an official and earned a lot of praise in the ICC magazine (Asia region).
Meanwhile, CCCB is finalizing its 2004-05 program, which includes intercity matches and matches at international venues and youth programs. CCCB is described as the only organization in the Kingdom to have staged a mega event of cricket through JCL in April 2000 when all cricket teams were invited to play matches.
CCCB is the maiden cricketing body in the Kingdom formed in 1999. Shahid Amin was unanimously elected president and CEO.
JCL is the oldest and largest organization started in April 1976. It pioneered cricket in the Kingdom under the leadership of Zainal Alireza Arab News Editor in Chief Khaled A. Almaeena and Shahid Amin.
The CCCB members unanimously decided to accord control of the board to JCL and Shahid Amin was delegated the responsibility to represent all cricket organizations of the Kingdom.
The CCCB committee consists of President and CEO Shahid Amin, General Secretary Afsar Faheem, Finance Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Chaudry, EPCA President Farhat Mahmood, EPCA General Secretary Najam ul Islam, YCL President Abdul Jabar Hussain, MCA President Zahid Ali, and Hashmat Qazi of MCA.
