PM Shehbaz offers support to PCB over staging PSL matches in Punjab

The drama over the staging of PSL 8 matches in Lahore and Rawalpindi maybe heading towards a conclusion, as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman, Najam Sethi, reached out to Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, on Sunday.

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.

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

Sethi also restated PCB’s stance that they refuse to pay the bills of PKR 250 million, demanded by interim Punjab government for security purposes.

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 had initially demanded PKR500 million from PCB to conduct the matches in Lahore and Rawalpindi. The board has already paid PKR50 million to Punjab government for expenses on food.

The provincial government were then demanding the remaining PKR450 million for lighting and security purposes. However, after a cabinet meeting on Saturday, they decided to borne fifty percent of the bill payment, while asking PCB to borne the remaining PKR 250 million.

But, PCB and the PSL franchises remained adamant in their position and refused to pay any amount demanded by the provincial government.