PM gives go-ahead to sell media rights for PSL 9

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, who is also patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has given the PCB go-ahead to sell the media rights for the Pakistan Super League Season 9.

The decision was taken on the recent request forwarded by the PCB that stated that the delay in awarding the rights would complicate the matter. “Considering urgency of the matter, the prime minister has allowed selling media rights for the PSL 9,” a highly-placed source in the Ministry for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) said.

The PSL 9 was to start from February 8 -- the same date on which the general elections will be held across the country. Though the PCB has yet to announce the fresh dates for the start of the ninth edition, it has been learnt that the PSL 2024 may start from February 13 or February 17.

A letter addressed to the PCB by the ministry on December 20, 2023 barred the board against taking any decisions involving financial and contractual implications without the patron’s approval.

“The prime minister/patron directed the PCB that all decisions having financial and contractual implications shall only be taken with the approval of prime minister/Patron PCB. Needless to mention that Article 5(3) of PCB Constitution, 2014 empowers the Patron to give general policy directions from time to time and the Board shall implement the same Any appointments or award of rights or contracts of any sort will be violation of the directions of Patron PCB and also be void ab-initio as the Management Committee has only been allowed to run the day to day affairs of PCB with the prime responsibility of finalization of composition of PCB’s BoG and early conduct of elections of Chairman, PCB resultantly. Despite repeated contacts no information/report has been received so far,” the letter said.

After that a separate request was forwarded by the PCB to the patron-in-chief to allow selling the rights as the delay may cause complications. The PM has given a go-ahead to sell the media rights for the PSL 9.