PCB tough on any tournament in October to March in UAE, asks written assurance

With the help of their domestic T20 league the Pakistan Super League (PSL), PCB is working hard in bringing cricket back to Pakistan but top players and sides are still reluctant to visit the country for any match or series. After a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009, international cricket was suspended in Pakistan. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been hosting their home matches in the UAE ever since.

However, after Afghanistan Cricket Board announced that it has planned to host a T20 league of its own in the UAE, the PCB showing a tough stance on the matter has asked the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) to give a written assurance that they will not be hosting any T20 tournament during the October and March season where Pakistan plays a number of international matches along with the Pakistan Super League.

According to a PCB official who was speaking to Geo.tv, any T20 tournament during that period will create a conflict of interest. “We have sought written assurances from ECB that they will not host any T20 leagues from October to March that could create a conflict of interest with our bilateral fixtures with Australia and New Zealand and the Pakistan Super League (PSL),” the official told Geo.tv.

Will shift home games to Malaysia 

The official confirmed that PCB has already made it clear to the UAE board that if they fail to give an assurance on the matter, the Pakistani board will look into the possibility of shifting their home games to Malaysia. He added that the facilities in Malaysia were up to the mark. “If they don’t give us these firm commitments then we will consider the option of moving our fixtures to Malaysia,” said the official. “We have checked their facilities and these are up to the mark,” he added.

It will be interesting to see what conspires between the two boards after a stern position of the PCB.

[interaction id=”5ae48c9dbb7c0a5e77ac4c9f”]