Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan have madeheadlines by declining substantial offers from illegal betting entities,despite the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) controversial collaboration withsurrogate betting companies.
This collaboration has raised concerns as it appears to breach regulations,with the PCB accepting sponsorship from a surrogate betting sponsor, DafaNews. This move has allegedly opened the door for more than 150 illegalsurrogate betting sites and apps to operate within Pakistan’s digitallandscape.
The repercussions of this collaboration have extended to some PakistanSuper League (PSL) franchises, which have reportedly urged playersindividually to promote these illicit betting companies by endorsing theirlogos on their shirts and granting image rights.
Babar Azam took a principled stand, rejecting a yearly contract worth Rs250million, while Muhammad Rizwan also declined a Rs100 million yearlycontract from a single surrogate betting company, citing their objection tosuch sponsorships and contracts that infringe upon the law.
During the previous PSL tournament, Muhammad Rizwan, serving as the captainof Multan Sultans, refused to display the logo of WOLF777 on his kit. Theplayers’ refusals are substantiated by documented emails, such as one sentto Babar Azam by the 1XBET betting company, expressing interest incollaboration due to the player’s social media presence. In response, BabarAzam’s representative, Saya Corporation, emphasized their religious stanceagainst any association with betting or surrogate betting brands.
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Muhammad Rizwan received a similar email, further illustrating the players’unwavering stance. Disturbingly, the PCB is accused of granting imagerights of Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan to these betting companies withouttheir consent.
Furthermore, some PSL franchises have reportedly compelled players to wearthe logos of these surrogate betting companies, potentially infringing uponthe players’ freedom of speech and rights.
A source within one of the betting companies confirmed that despite Babarand Rizwan’s clear refusals, the PCB and PSL franchises have granted theirimage rights to these entities, raising concerns about the nature of thecollaboration and its implications.