Pakistan's regional cricket associations have proposed that they been given a stronger voice in the PCB and larger role in developing the sport at the grass-root level.

The PCB's governing board comprises 15 members, nine of who are directly appointed by the patron, the president of Pakistan, while the other six require the patron's approval. There are only five elected representatives from regional associations on the governing board and they have a smaller role than members appointed directly by the patron.

The heads of ten regional associations met with the PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf on November 10 and discussed the issues affecting them - lack of infrastructure at the grass-root level and financial constraints.

"I find him [Ashraf] a keen personality who is trying to understand the system," Wisal Muhammad Durrani, the president of the Peshawar cricket association, told Cricket Super News. "He isn't from a cricketing background but looked very enthusiastic. I only wish that whatever was promised in the meeting should be implemented for the betterment of cricket."

At its annual conference in June, the ICC had given its member boards two years to become democratised and free from government and political interference in a bid to improve governance within the game. Pakistan's regional associations are welcoming this move because it will empower them.

"Regional associations, which are the primary production house for cricketers, need to be empowered for the betterment of cricket instead of having their rights snubbed," a regional association head said. "We are serving as nurseries for developing talent and all of us are doing our job as honorary. We need a system and obviously the system needs us."

Another regional head said, "We are coming up through a process of election but for some reason regions aren't given the importance they deserve. The idea is to have an elected body from bottom to top - a requirement by the ICC as well, which isn't a unfair call at all."

The ICC's Pakistan Task Team (PTT) had also recommended changes to the way cricket was run in the country, including the way the PCB functions. It also called for the regional associations to be given more authority.

While the associations are being run democratically, the level of competency could be raised. The associations, however, said the PCB needed to help them improve. "Each one of the association heads is well educated and competent enough to handle cricketing matters," Khawaja Nadeem Ahmed, the Lahore City Cricket Association head, said. "I think it's about the confidence and helping the regions to rise - a practice that never was practiced. It's a wrong perception about regions and their low capacity. All of them have good reputations."