LAHORE – The Pakistan Cricket Board will be paid around $400,000 for every match it was supposed to host in the World Cup, which could not be held in the country due to security concerns. The International Cricket Council (ICC) had moved away Pakistan’s share of 14 matches and distributed them among the other three joint hosts –India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — but the PCB would still be paid the hosting fees.
Reports quoted sources in the PCB said that under the host countries agreement signed by the co-hosts with the ICC, all host countries will get around $400,000 per match they host. “The amount could be as high as $500,000 but at least 400,000 dollars is confirmed,” the reports said. “That was basically the solution worked out to the dispute between the PCB and ICC over the issue of hosting rights which led to the PCB sending a legal notice to the sport’s world governing body after the shifting of the matches in 2009,” the reports added.
The matches, including a semi-final, were moved from Pakistan after the militants attack on Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March, 2009. The source said the ICC had, after Pakistan withdrew its legal notice, agreed that although no matches would be held in Pakistan due to security reasons but the PCB would be paid hosting fees per match. A reports added that Pakistan would also get a share of revenues from gate receipts, ground advertising and sale of hospitality boxes at the venues where its share of matches would be held now in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
“Only the host nations get the hosting fees from the ICC. The other participating nations will get their share of the overall revenues from the World Cup,” reports said. It added that the ICC had informed the PCB that its dues from the World Cup would be cleared 90 days after the end of the tournament according to procedures. The source also said the ICC had also cleared most of the dues of the PCB it had held up last year due to the failure of the board to submit audited accounts of previous years including Pakistan’s share of revenues from the ICC Champions Trophy and the T20 World Cup.
“So even though teams might not be touring Pakistan at the moment but the PCB would find itself in a healthy financial position after the World Cup,” the source said. Pakistan is due to play all six of its group matches at different venues in Sri Lanka and despite the ICC moving matches from Pakistan, leading companies and organisations have invested heavily in World Cup related campaigns promoting their brands.
PCB Governing Board meets on 11th: The Pakistan Cricket Board will hold its first Governing Board meeting in three years on February 11. The PCB, according to its constitution, is supposed to hold its Governing Body’s meeting once in a year but this has not happened since 2007.
“The governing body will meet on February 11 in which the board will present its annual report and will discuss accounts and the budget ratified,” an official of the board said. He said it was under the existing constitution that the PCB was working and even its chairman and other office-bearers were nominated or appointed under the 2007 constitution which came into effect when Nasim Ashraf was the chairman of the board.
“It is a big event because the general body includes the presidents of all district and regional cricket associations and the membership is around 125 people on the body,” he said. He said the general body would discuss the recent spate of controversies that have hit Pakistan cricket including the spot-fixing allegations, new disciplinary clauses and the World Cup revenues. An amendment in the PCB constitution reducing the powers of the Chairman is awaiting final approval.
