PCB, franchises to explore UAE, USA as potential venues for PSL

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and PSL franchise owners had a meeting this afternoon via teleconference, to discuss the deadlock over the staging of PSL 8 matches in Rawalpindi and Lahore.

It was unanimously decided that they will maintain their Friday's stance i.e. no payments should be made to Punjab government for providing security to visiting foreign players and teams, as that is the responsibility of the government and state organisation in any country.

PSL franchises also want PCB to start exploring possibilities of taking the tournament back to UAE or going to an entirely new venue in United States of America (USA).

Earlier on Sunday morning, the PCB Management Committee Chairman, Najam Sethi, also reached out to Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif.

The PCB chief asked the Prime Minister, who is also the PCB's Patron-in-Chief, to intervene and resolve the deadlock between the board and the interim Punjab government over security expenses.

According to sources, Sethi explained his position to the PM, who guaranteed the PCB chief of his full support.

Sethi explained that they will have to take the difficult decision of shifting the matches to Karachi, if the provincial government does not budge from their demand.

It must be noted that the interim Punjab government are demanding PKR 250 million for security expenses, while asking PCB to borne the remaining PKR 250 million bill.