Pakistan is one of the biggest cricket nations in the world, but things aren’t going well for them at the moment. They just got beaten by Bangladesh 0-2, and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is at risk of sustaining a massive financial loss. The Pakistan vs England Tests start on October 7, and yet the rights for the 3-match series are yet to be sold.
It’s not just that the rights aren’t sold in Pakistan; there are no takers for the series in England either. The BBC was in prime position to take the radio rights for the Pakistan vs England Test series, but even that hasn’t been confirmed yet.
In April, the PCB wanted $21 million (Rs 175 crore) for the three-year international media rights, but no one showed interest. The best offer they got was a meager $7.85 million (Rs 65 crore) from Sports Five. Considering that the offer was almost one-third of what they expected, the PCB turned it down.
They recently hosted Bangladesh, but the series wasn’t televised or streamed worldwide. Sky Sports have traditionally picked up the rights in England but aren’t willing to do the same this time around. According to Cricket Pakistan, fearing a blackout in England, the PCB are likely to sell the rights for the series at a lower price, which could lead to significant losses.
Pakistan vs England Test series schedule
| Test | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Multan | October 7-11 |
| 2nd | Multan | October 15-19 |
| 3rd | Rawalpindi | October 24-28 |
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