Loud Thinking

Collusion of ICC and BCCI Against Pakistan’s Cricket..!

The news that the PCB is due to pay a staggering $1.6 million to their previous broadcasters Ten Sports, is a very serious matter for which the entire responsibility lies jointly on the ICC and the BCCI. (Detailed news item attached below).

In this regard, the PCB must sue both ICC and BCCI , for the Indian’s refusal to play cricket with Pakistan, as per the FTP of the ICC, neither in Pakistan nor on any neutral grounds.

At the same time, the BCCI invites Pakistani cricket team to play in India on its own terms (without paying a penny to the PCB), that too for T20 and ODI matches. India must be told that they can’t have cake and eat it too.

Moreover, India also plays against Pakistan in such tournaments, like the world cups and champions trophy, at Indian soil and on the neutral world venues. This attitude of the the Indians, clearly proves that the BCCI, in connivance with the ICC, intentionally follows a policy of causing financial loss to the PCB, for which these two organisations have no legal justification; and must be forced to redeem financial losses to the PCB.

The collusion of the ICC with the BCCI, in inflicting financial losses to the PCB and damaging cricket of the Pakistani nation, is clearly evident from the fact that the ICC never admonished and warned the BCCI, to not to bring in politics in sports. The ICC never told the BCCI that this is not cricket: that the BCCI plays cricket with Pakistan in a pick and chose manner, totally in violation of the spirit of the game and by sabotaging the ICC FTP, in a systematic and well thought out manner.

The silence of the ICC, in allowing the BCCI to discriminate with Pakistani players/teams, in the ICC approved IPL and CL tournaments, is another proof that both these organisations are hands in glove,against the valid and legal interests of the PCB and the Pakistani cricket.

Now, a stage has arrived where the PCB must tell categorically to the ICC, that Pakistani and Indian matches should be deleted from the FTP schedules (as Indians don’t want to play Pakistan, even on neutral venues), to settle the issue once for ever.

If India don’t want to play Pakistan, we are also not dying to play with India, as well.

However, PCB can not be made to bear the financial losses, just for the sake of ICC’s FTP.

As such, either the ICC should force India to make good PCB’s financial losses or the ICC itself, must pay this money back to Pakistan, because PCB had to make advance arrangements, as per FTP of the ICC.

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News

PCB to pay hefty price for failing to host India

By Nabeel Hashmi
Published: September 6, 2013
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to pay a heavy price for not being able to host India either on home soil or at a neutral venue during the past few years.

The PCB is due to pay a staggering $1.6 million to their previous broadcasters Ten Sports.

PCB’s relentless efforts of holding a series with India on reciprocal basis never materialised and Pakistan could only clash against their arch-rivals in a Twenty20 and One-Day International (ODI) series in India.

According to ICC’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) contract, the PCB and Ten Sports had an agreement for a home series against India in Pakistan or at a neutral venue but it never happened.

Since the TV rights agreement has ended, the broadcasters are now demanding repayment of a substantial amount which has been utilised by the PCB.

“The TV rights agreement with Taj TV (Ten Sports) expired on June 30 and they’re pressing us hard for the refund of advance TV Rights amounting to $1,661,667,” reads a confidential document of the PCB made available to The Express Tribune. “The amount in question was given to the PCB for the Indian series that hasn’t taken place.”

The document further reveals that the PCB was reminded about this big sum when they asked Ten Sports for a late payment surcharge of $38,267 for the Pakistan-Australia series, which was played in 2012, as they received the payment after a considerable delay.

The broadcaster contested the matter of late payment surcharge, stating that the board has utilised the amount of TV rights fee for the India series, which did not take place for the past few years and that the PCB should have refunded the money much earlier.

Broadcasters finalised for SA, SL series

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has chosen two different broadcasters for the upcoming series against South Africa and Sri Lanka in the UAE later this year.

The sale process was conducted by a Bids Committee, headed by former ICC President Ehsan Mani and included another independent member, Justice (retd) Shabbar Raza Rizvi.

“Two bidders participated in the bidding process and both were evaluated,” said a PCB spokesperson. “The offer from Ten Sports for the South Africa series, being the highest and the offer of Geo for Sri Lanka series, also being the highest, was recommended to the Board of Governors of PCB for approval. Media rights for the two tours have accordingly been awarded.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7th, 2013.

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

Lahore.

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