Najam Sethi opens up about 'challenging' PSL
The PCB Friday decided to continue the PSL 8 as per schedule
KARACHI: The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) management committee, Najam Sethi, admitted that continuing the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on home soil is a challenge.
There had been concerns voiced over the future of the PSL 8 matches scheduled in Karachi, following the attack on the city's police chief's headquarters on Friday evening.
However, soon after an emergency meeting was called by the PCB which was attended by franchise representatives. In the meeting, PCB, in consultation with security agencies and the provincial government, took franchises in confidence. As a result, they all agreed to continue with the ongoing edition of PSL as per schedule in Karachi.
Meanwhile, Sethi, in an interaction with the media on Saturday, said: "Continuing PSL in Pakistan is a challenge. The Punjab government sent us a bill of Rs800m for security, while the bill was Rs400m for Karachi. However, after our request, the Chief Minister of Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, waived off the bill. When I told this to the Punjab government, they also decided against charging us for security."
"We do not take a single rupee from the government but pay taxes," he added.
Sethi also said that he wanted to revive women's cricket and the Women's League is part of that plan.
Amid the ongoing eighth edition of the PSL, the PCB will hold three women's matches as a build-up to the Women's League.
"As soon as we announced the women's league, India and the IPL announced their own women's league. This year we are going to launch a women's league. There are some women's matches in this PSL as well," he said.
He also heaped massive praise on Pakistan women's wicketkeeper-batter Muneeba Ali, for "scoring a magnificent century" against Ireland in the ongoing ICC Women's World Cup 2023 in South Africa.
Sethi also revealed that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had asked him to restore departmental cricket.
"Before I came, instructions were issued to restore departmental cricket. I hope that Karachi Customs will also restore the cricket team. It is not appropriate that if the chairman changes, all the work goes to waste," he concluded.
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