Shocking news for the Pakistani Cricket fans
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The convening of the Governing Council of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) took place in Lahore on a Monday. During this meeting, officials from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) expressed their intention to initiate the ninth edition of the PSL in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the forthcoming general elections slated for the following year. PCB decision to shift PSL from Pakistan to UAE has send shockwaves to cricket fans in Pakistan.
Nevertheless, this proposition was met with collective resistance and rejection by all the PSL franchises. The team owners presented compelling arguments against relocating the league back to the UAE after making significant efforts to bring it to Pakistan. They believed such a move would be an imprudent decision. Furthermore, they emphasized the potential financial setback, estimating a loss of PKR 800 million should the event be held in another country.
Zaka Ashraf, Chairman of the Management Committee, suggested Qatar as a viable Plan B. Eventually, a consensus was reached to postpone the league until after the elections. One franchise owner raised concerns about the UAE's ILT20 posing a competitive threat to the Pakistan Super League, questioning the wisdom of strengthening the event by allowing Pakistan players to participate.
In response, PCB officials assured the attendees that they would carefully consider the matter. They also divulged plans to formulate a No Objection Certificate (NOC) policy in consultation with Chief Selector Inzamam ul Haq for future league engagements.
During the Governing Council meeting, the issue of surrogate advertising within the PSL was another focal point of discussion. In the eighth edition of the league, several teams prominently featured logos of companies associated with the gambling business on their shirts. Multan Sultans' captain, Mohammad Rizwan, even resorted to covering these sponsor logos with stickers during a qualifier match, drawing attention to the issue of surrogate advertising within the league.
