PCB in spat with SLC over Test series expenses

LAHORE: As a known reality, Pakistan cricket is prone to controversy because there is always steam in the boiling water. But this time round it’s not the national cricketer involved in controversy rather it’s the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) itself which is in a spat for national interest but with none other than one of its allied board, the Sri Lanka Cricket.

The PCB has reportedly asked the Sri Lankan board to share the expenses if it wants Pakistan to host home Test series in UAE. Pakistan recently hosted Sri Lanka in a limited-overs series in its home soil with the desired security protocol of the SLC.

The PCB is not willing to bear the expenses of hosting another home series in the United Arab Emirates and wants Sri Lanka Cricket to share financial burden if it decides not to tour Pakistan for the two-Test rubber in December. After successfully hosting Sri Lanka for a limited over series in Karachi and Lahore in September-October, the PCB has been pushing the Sri Lankans to send their team for two ICC Test Championship matches as well in December.

“PCB Chairman, Ehsan Mani and CEO, Wasim Khan who are in Dubai for the ICC board meetings have apparently conveyed to Sri Lankan officials that if they (SLC) insist on playing the Test series in UAE, they should bear the expenses,” a PCB official revealed. “The PCB has decided to take a stance that even after convincing the ICC and Sri Lankan board officials that they can properly manage all security arrangements in Pakistan, if the Sri Lankan board still insists on having the series in UAE it will have to pay or share the expenses of hosting the series,” the source said.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) chief Shammi Silva, who was in Pakistan for the recent white-ball series, had said after returning home that the visiting players and officials were confined to their team hotel due to security arrangements and couldn’t roam around freely. “Three days stuck in your hotel even I got fed-up,” he told media.