The financial crunch in Pakistan Cricket continues. The hopes of starting a Women’s T20 League remain unfulfilled. However now, before the start of Pakistan Super League (PSL 2024) women’s exhibition matches too have been shelved. Back in 2023, three women’s exhibition matches took place.
Tania Mallick, the head of PCB’s wing in terms of women’s cricket has claimed that Zaka Ashraf’s management was unwilling to spend money on women’s exhibition matches. As a result now, before the start of the 9th edition of PSL, there won’t be any women’s matches.
“The impression I got was they did not feel they were in a position to make such big financial decisions,” Tania Mallick told ESPNcricinfo.
“What was conveyed to us was the next committee and administration would do this, ‘we don’t want to’. The obstacle is not within our management or the financial officers within the PCB. It was the interim management committee that was not willing to commit. I don’t feel frustrated with my management because they all agree [we need a league],” Mallick added.
She went on to claim that the interim committee was unwilling to commit for women’s exhibition matches. The PCB didn’t want to shelve cash for the matches. Mallick further went on to claim that the planning were done. However, in the final moment the entire plan was dropped.
Even the PSL department, we had planned everything but it was taken off the board at the last minute. This was towards the tail-end of the Zaka regime. It was quite disappointing for all of us and I told the girls that repeatedly,” Tania Mallick concluded.