NEW DELHI: Pakistan's caretaker government has intervened in the affairs of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), preventing the sale of media rights for international matches and the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
The directive has prompted the head of the Cricket Management Committee (CMC), Zaka Ashraf, to postpone his planned visit to Australia and seek a meeting with caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakaar.
The Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination (sports) issued a notification, mandating that the CMC/PCB seek government permission before finalizing any major deals. This move is perceived as a vote of no-confidence against the CMC, led by Zaka Ashraf, whose three-month extension ends on February 4.
The CMC's primary mandate was to conduct regional associations' elections and form a board of governors to elect a new PCB chairman. However, the government's notification restricts the PCB to day-to-day functions, affecting the ongoing process of inviting bids for the sale of PSL and international cricket media rights.
The PCB anticipates earning around 8-9 billion rupees from the media rights sale, but the delay in negotiations is causing concern. The government's directive has led to the suspension of approvals for several tenders related to the league's operations, heightening uncertainty around the potential success of media rights sales.
This development has also impeded the release of the PSL 9 schedule, as the PCB insists on finalizing it only after successfully selling media rights. The cricketing community and stakeholders are closely monitoring the situation as it unfolds, with the future of media rights and key operational aspects hanging in the balance.
(With inputs from PTI)
