File photo of Mohsin Naqvi.© AFP

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The Pakistan Cricket Board has settled for nearly half of its reserve price kept for selling broadcasting rights for the international home matches between the period of August 2024 and December 2026. The broadcasting rights for the Pakistan region have been sold for PKR 1.72 billion, which is at least PKR 1.48 billion less than the initial reserve price of PKR 3.2 billion the board kept for selling the rights. However, the PCB officials, without having sharing any figures, claim that the rights were sold at more than twice the amount from the previous rights cycle (FTP 2021 to 2024).

As per available details, the PCB recently sold its Pakistan region broadcasting rights for the 28-month period to a Pakistani consortium of ARY and Tower Sports and claimed to have sold it for a higher amount when compared with the last contract.

The PCB said that the rights were awarded “following a transparent tender process” in which several bids were received.

The rights are for 11 Tests, including seven in the 2024-25 season, 26 ODIs and 24 T20Is.

The ODIs include a couple of three-nation ODI series in the current and next season.

The fact that no high profile foreign broadcaster showed interest in the Pakistan international home season rights is an indication that the PCB is facing problems in generating revenues expected from broadcasting rights.

Even Pakistan Television, the state owned network, bid PKR 1.6 billion and didn’t bother to increase the amount even though the eventual successful bid was for PKR 1.72 billion.

“It is far less than initially what the PCB had anticipated while keeping its reserve price of PKR 3.2 billion,” a source aware of the developments said.

Additionally, the PTV bought the broadcasting rights after securing the sub-licensing for PKR 500 million from the consortium.

Therefore, both the consortium and the PTV earned profitable deals but PCB failed to make the most jam-packed season financially.

Interestingly, the PCB is now finding it difficult to get a broadcaster in the UK to show the Pakistan and England Test series in October-November with Sky Sports showing no interest at all in securing rights for the UK territory.

But the PCB is confident that with time in hand, it will eventually find a broadcaster for the series in the UK.

File photo of Mohsin Naqvi.© AFP

File photo of Waqar Younis.© AFP

Pakistan’s star trio Babar Azam, Mohammed Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi, are unlikely to get a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for featuring in the upcoming Global T20 Canada, sources told Geo News. The sources informed Geo News that the players won’t get an NOC despite the league schedule, avoiding any clashes with Pakistan’s international fixtures. Pakistan will play the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, which will kick off on August 21. The Canadian League will be played from July 25 to August 11.

It was also reported that the reason for the likely denial of the NOC is that players playing in all formats will not be issued the certificate according to the policy. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is not in favour of issuing NOCs to players because of the hectic schedule that lies ahead of them.

Star pacer Naseem Shah was also denied an NOC last week to feature in The Hundred. The sources informed Geo News that, after reviewing the application submitted by the Pakistan cricketer, the decision to deny the NOC has been taken as a preventive measure.

The sources stated that Naseem’s application has been dismissed to safeguard him from injuries since the youngster features in all three formats for Pakistan and suffered injuries and fitness challenges last year.

Apart from the star trio, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Asif Ali, and Iftikhar Ahmed also have Global T20 Canada contracts.

Earlier this week, PCB chairman Naqvi stated that the players would get the NOC based on certain criteria. Players who fulfil the criteria will get the NOC.

“The players will be promoted on the basis of their fitness and performance. There’s no place for players who do not fit the criteria. There’ll also be no compromise on discipline,” said PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi.

In their crucial World Test Championship matches against Bangladesh, Pakistan red-ball head coach Jason Gillispie has already hinted at the possible unavailability of star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi for the series.

Shaheen and his wife, Ansha, who got married last year, are expecting the birth of their first child. Due to this, he could miss the Test series against Bangladesh next month.

“Shaheen can miss Bangladesh Test matches due to childbirth. We can give him [some] rest if he wants to stay with his wife till then,” Pakistan’s red-ball coach, Jason Gillispie, said last week.

In the wake of Pakistan’s dismal showing in the T20 World Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday gave head coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie a free hand to turn the fortunes of the team, according to sources. Pakistan lost to newcomers USA and arch-rivals India in the Group stages of the World Cup to be eliminated from the competition held in the USA and the Caribbean. Naqvi met the white-ball and red-ball coaches, where Kirsten and Gillespie shared their plans for the national team.

According to the PCB, Naqvi told both the coaches that he had full confidence in them and they would get full backing from the cricket board.

“Kirsten was blunt in laying down his concerns about the white-ball team based on the World Cup,” said a PCB source.

Both the head coaches told the PCB chairman that they wanted to set clear guidelines about the fitness levels required to be considered for Pakistan team selection.

“Naqvi told them they should do whatever is necessary to change the fortunes of the team and no one would ask them to make any compromises on selection or the fitness of players,” the source added.

Kirsten had warned senior pros in the side following the team’s loss to the USA and India to adapt to new skill-sets and improve their game awareness, or get left behind. Senior team manager, Wahab Riaz, in his report submitted to Naqvi, had outlined personality clashes in the side during the World Cup.

“The PCB chief said both the coaches had a free hand to take whatever decisions they wanted to improve the performances of the team in red-ball and white-ball formats.” Assistant coach Azhar Mahmood was also present during the meeting.

The source added that Kirsten, while discussing his experience with the Pakistan team during the World Cup, told Naqvi that there was a need to rebuild combinations in the white-ball format and also change the mindset of players.

Kirsten and Gillespie had agreed to become white-ball and red-ball coaches respectively a few months before the World Cup after Naqvi approached them and offered them long-term contracts with the assurance that they would be given proper opportunities to implement their plans.

Kirsten has also worked with the Indian team and comes to Pakistan with a big reputation.

File photo of Pakistan cricket team.© AFP

The Pakistan Cricket Board might not be able bring about major changes in the national team in the wake of the side’s dismal performance in the T20 World Cup 2024 as that could lead to a confrontation with senior players, according to sources. PCB’s governing board, scheduled to meet here on Saturday, will take cognizance of white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten and senior team manager Wahab Riaz’s reports submitted to chairman Mohsin Naqvi. But a source said, only cosmetic changes will take place and the “same set of players” would likely continue to play.

Naqvi had been quoted as saying following Pakistan’s defeat to India in the World Cup that a “major surgery” was required in the team.

“The reports by Kirsten and Riaz will help the Governing Board and chairman Naqvi decide the next course of action but all indications are there Naqvi doesn’t want a confrontation with senior players and he has also been advised against massive changes in the team,” a source told PTI.

“There are so many outside voices and pressures from within the system that all this talk about big changes is unlikely to happen. So, basically, with a few changes, the same set of players will be in the Pakistan team for coming games as well in all formats,” he added.

On whether Babar Azam would be retained as white-ball captain following the dismal T20 World Cup showing, another source said that while there is a group, including some former Test captains, which wants to see Shaheen Afridi replace Babar, if there are changes, the prime candidates for captaincy would be Shan Masood and Muhammad Rizwan.

“You could see cosmetic changes, like changes in the selection committee, and the same old story of reorganising domestic cricket to help do damage control. But the senior players remain strong,” he said.

Kirsten’s report is said to contain the same observations he made during his interaction with the players in the dressing room after the match against Ireland in the Group stage.

Kirsten had warned senior pros in the side following the team’s loss to the USA and India to adapt to new skill-sets and improve their game awareness or get left behind. Wahab, on the other hand, outlined personality clashes in the side during the World Cup.

Pakistan next play a two-Test series against Bangladesh followed by three Tests against England. It is unlikely that senior players like Babar and Rizwan would want to take a break from these assignments.