Pakistan Government Prohibits PCB from Selling PSL, International Media Rights

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief patron Zaka Ashraf was forced to reschedule his trip to Australia in order to meet with Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakaar after the caretaker government of Pakistan banned the PCB from selling media rights of international matches and the Pakistan Super League. The government’s order was issued soon after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s management committee, the CMC, began soliciting bids to sell the PSL and international cricket media rights.

“The government’s Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination (sports) has issued a notification to the board making it clear that from now on, the CMC/PCB has to seek permission from the government before signing any major deal,” a trustworthy source stated on Sunday.

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He continued by saying that Ashraf had even decided to cancel his intended trip to Australia in order to meet with Anwar ul Haq Kakaar, the acting prime minister.

The government’s notification, which requires the board’s permission for each significant move, is interpreted as a vote of no confidence in Ashraf’s CMC.

Following his appointment as CMC chief in July, Ashraf was granted a three-month extension in November that expires on February 4.

The main tasks assigned to the CMC were to organize elections for the regional organizations and create a board of governors in order to choose a new PCB chairman.

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The PCB can only perform daily tasks as a result of the notification. The PCB is concerned about the delay in discussions as they hope to make approximately 8-9 billion rupees from the sale of PSL and international media rights for home matches.

According to the source, authorization of seven or eight tenders pertaining to the league’s operations have already been suspended as a result of the notification.

He continued by saying that worries over the board’s potential inability to sell the media rights at “good rates” had also been heightened by the uncertainty.

The PSL 9 schedule has also been delayed by this development, as the PCB maintains that it can only be completed following the successful acquisition of media rights.