PSL 2023: PCB mulls over shift of venues after financial dispute with interim Punjab government

Dark clouds loom over the upcoming matches of the ongoing Pakistan Super League as reports suggest that the entire tournament will be moved to Karachi after a monetary dispute between the Pakistan Cricket Board and the local government in Punjab. All six franchise owners have been invited for a meeting by the PCB to discuss the matter on Friday afternoon.

The decision to move the tournament has arisen due to the dispute between the apex cricket body and the interim Punjab government regarding the security costs. The Punjab government is understood to have demanded a staggering sum of PKR 450 million for hosting the tournament in Lahore and Rawalpindi.

“The PCB has never paid such a huge security expense even when organising the PSL in the United Arab Emirates. The PCB has the stance that since the PSL is a national brand, serving a huge national purpose, therefore the government should come out with open heart for it,” an anonymous source confirmed to the Dawn.

The PCB is reluctant to give in to the demands of the interim Punjab government as the board has already paid PKR 50 million, as per an agreement with the previous regime, which was dissolved in January this year. According to reports, The Sindh government does not require the PCB to pay a share of the security costs and has only asked for remuneration for catering to the security personnel, understood to be in the region of PKR 30 million.

Although the shifting of the venues will help reduce the cost of organising the tournament for the PCB, the participating franchises might now like the idea of last-minute changes to the venue. Apart from the teams, the fans will also be disappointed to miss out on the action in renowned parts of Lahore and Rawalpindi, with the former scheduled to host the final of the tournament. 

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