PCB plans to stage four PSL matches in Karachi

KARACHI: ICC officials will visit Karachi to discuss the security plan for matches of Pakistan Super League (PSL) to be conducted in the city, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Najam Sethi said on Wednesday.

Talking to journalists at the National Stadium, he further said that after getting the green signal from the ICC, the PCB would talk to the franchises to make sure that their players come to play in Karachi.

He said an ICC committee would visit Karachi within four days to oversee the security plan. Sethi on Wednesday discussed the security arrangements with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

He said the CM had assured the PCB of all possible facilities for the matches of PSL in Karachi in February next year. He said that he discussed with the CM the security plan which the PCB has to present to the ICC officials.

He said the PCB wanted to stage four matches of the PSL in Karachi to meet the demand of cricket-starved people. He said people of the country were eager to watch international stars in action.

“We are looking forward to hold first two play-offs in Karachi and Lahore is lined-up to host the third play-off and the final,” he said. Sethi said the PCB had made a lot of efforts to get international cricket back to Pakistan.

He said that the circumstances were not good when the PCB decided to hold the PSL final in Lahore.  “Nevertheless we took the step just for bringing back international cricket to Pakistan.“The things are turning out in our favour,” Sethi said.

Regarding the construction work at National Stadium, he said that the work got abandoned due to some issues, but it would start in November. Sethi said that the renovation work had been divided into two phases. In the first phase the most urgently needed works would be carried out — which has to be completed within two to three months. The rest of the work would be done after the PSL matches, he added.

He said Mudassar Nazar, Iqbal Qasim or Saleem Jaffer was likely to be given the job of heading the academy in the city.

Series against India:

About bilateral cricket with India, he said the Indian board (BCCI) had neither approved nor rejected playing 19 matches with Pakistan in the new bilateral series plan floated at the recent ICC meeting in Auckland.

Pakistan and India are slated to play 19 matches in the new Future Tours Program schedule, which will come into force from 2019 for four years as per the recommendations of the ICC.

“The ICC floated an FTP for all Test-playing nations for 2019-2023, including the Pakistan-India matches. The BCCI has neither approved nor rejected the proposed FTP,” Sethi said.

He said Pakistan had objected to the proposed FTP as it wanted the ICC to schedule the same number of matches in the four years that were outlined in the MoU signed between the two boards in 2014.

“We are sure India will eventually want the ICC to include the clause of government clearance in the FTP for matches between the two countries. But at the Auckland meeting they neither approved nor rejected the proposed 19 matches,” Sethi said.

He said Pakistan had made it clear to the ICC that it wanted the BCCI to fulfil its obligations as mentioned in the MoU.

The PCB chief also clarified that Pakistan’s plans to submit a compensation claim with the ICC disputes resolution committee to claim $70 million for two home series that India didn’t play under the MoU were a separate matter. “That compensation claim is a different matter and we are waiting for the ICC board to ratify some amendments to the disputes resolution clause after which our case is prepared. We are seeking compensation for two series that we were to host against India from 2014 to 2016,” he said.

Sethi pointed out that India had even refused to play the bilateral series on neutral venues proposed by Pakistan. He explained that the ICC had also decided to schedule Pakistan and India Tests and ODIs in its planned World Test League and World ODI League which will begin from 2019.

The PCB chief said that if India refused to play Pakistan in the World leagues or FTP matches they would have to forfeit points as per ICC rules.Sethi also reiterated that Pakistan’s decision to sign World league documents depended on India fulfilling its MoU obligations.