Franchise owners oppose UAE as venue for PSL 9

The meeting of the Governing Council of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was held in Lahore on Monday. At the meeting, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials stated that they intend to start the ninth edition of PSL from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the upcoming general elections next year.However, all franchises collectively rejected this proposal.

The team owners argued that bringing the league back to Pakistan with such difficulty, only to take it outside again, would not be a suitable decision. They also indicated that PSL might incur a loss of PKR 800 million by holding the event at another country.

Chairman Management Committee, Zaka Ashraf, proposed Qatar as a Plan B. Eventually, it was decided that the league would be held after the elections. One owner stated that UAE's ILT20 could pose a threat to the Pakistan Super League. They questioned why the event is being made stronger by allowing Pakistan players to participate. 

In response, PCB officials said they would consider the matter and also mentioned that they are forming an NOC policy with the consultation of Chief Selector, Inzamam ul Haq, for the leagues.

The issue of surrogate advertising during the PSL was also discussed at the Governing Council meeting.

In the eighth edition, most teams had logos of companies on their shirts that were actually involved in promoting the gambling business. Multan Sultans' captain Mohammad Rizwan had covered the sponsor logos with stickers on his shirt during a qualifier match. 

The franchises want to ensure that such a situation does not arise again, for which PCB was asked to form a clear policy. In response, it was told that the policy is already in place, and documentation should be submitted to prove that there is no connection of the sponsor company's business with gambling. Only such companies will be allowed sponsorship, and those unable to provide the required documents will be kept away from the league.