Karachi Test live-streamed on betting website

The ongoing Karachi Test, between Pakistan and South Africa, is live-streamed on a betting website, sky247.com.

Sky247.net, which is one of the co-sponsors for the two-match Test series, is also part of the same company which owns sky247.com.  

Although the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s contract is with sky247.net, but the website gives the user an option to visit the same company’s betting website as well. During the first day’s play, on Tuesday, bets were placed on the match through  live-stream. The board’s logo was also visible on the left side of the video.

When PCB was approached on the matter, their spokesperson, Director Media Samiul Hasan Burney, said Pakistan’s constitution does not allow companies associated with betting and alcohol products to sponsor cricket events. He added that PCB’s commercial contracts always includes this clause inorder to respect Pakistan cultural and religious values.

PCB will monitor the second day’s play, tomorrow on the website, which can be accessed in Pakistan without Virtual Private Network (VPN), inorder to determine whether legal action should be taken or not.

He said Sky247.net is a news website, run by a Portuguese company, which also sponsors Abu Dhabi T10 League and Ireland, UAE series.

It must be noted that matches of PSL 5, last season, were also streamed on a betting website. The matter was resolved after PCB accepted apology of one of its partners. Later, PCB terminated its contract with the company over non-payment of dues.