‘Serve tea to get paid’: National Bank tells former snooker champion Asif

By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 05 Jan 2023

Chairman of the Pakistan Billiard and Snooker Federation (PBSF) Alamgir Sheikh has revealed that National Bank of Pakistan hasn’t released players’ salaries for the past 16 months.

He added that former world champion Mohammad Asif was told to report for office duty in order to get paid.

“Mohammad Asif was told to work on the cash counter or serve tea,” said Sheikh. “I have asked President of National Bank to take notice of this issue.”

“World champions should be given respect rather than being asked to work in office. Office duty is for retired players,” he added.

It must be noted that, earlier this month, cueist Asif became the first player from Pakistan to graduate to the professional snooker tour.

He achieved the feat after qualifying for the final of inaugural Asia-Oceania Q School event in Bangkok, Thailand.

Asif has also won the IBSF World Snooker Championship title twice, 2012 and 2019, in the past.

For the past couple of years, Athletes in Pakistan have been struggling due closure of departmental sports in Pakistan. This is also reason why National Bank has frozen payments to players.

Pakistan changed its sports structure from departmental to regional during former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s tenure. This idea made sense, among other benefits, in terms of offering better career paths to players and revival of local rivalries. However, lack of a proper transition plan, from departments to regions, has left local players in dire straits with many struggling to make ends meet.

After the regime change in Pakistan, it was expected that departmental cricket will be restored in Pakistan under the premiership of Shehbaz Sharif but no official notification has been issued in this regard so far.