PSL 2023: Pakistan Super League 2023 – The controversy over the staging of PSL 8 matches in Lahore and Rawalpindi may be heading toward a conclusion. On February 26, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman, Najam Sethi, reached out to Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif. Sethi asked the Prime Minister, who is also the PCB’s Patron-in-Chief, to intervene and resolve the deadlock between the board and the interim Punjab government over security expenses. Follow Pakistan Super League 2023 Live Updates with Insidesport.IN
- PCB Chief Najam Sethi meets PM Shehbaz.
- Sethi briefs PM Shehbaz on the issue of security expenses.
- Najam Sethi said that national institutions are responsible for PSL’s arrangements.
- PCB refuses to accept the Punjab govt’s demands.
PSL 2023: PCB Chairman Najam Sethi meets PM Shehbaz Sharif, says PCB won’t pay additional cost for PSL security, Follow PSL 2023 LIVE Updates
During the meeting, PM Shehbaz Sharif assured full support to the PCB Management Committee over the PSL season eight matches in Punjab. The PCB Chief explained his position to the PM and refuse to pay the bills of PKR 250 million, demanded by the interim Punjab government for security purposes.
Najam Sethi explained that if the demand is not withdrawn by the Punjab government, the PCB will be forced to shift matches to Karachi. It must be noted that the interim Punjab government had initially demanded PKR500 million from PCB. The board has already paid PKR50 million to Punjab government for expenses on food.
PSL 2023: PCB Chairman Najam Sethi meets PM Shehbaz Sharif, says PCB won’t pay additional cost for PSL security, Follow PSL 2023 LIVE Updates
The fate of PSL fixtures in the two cities of Punjab, including the final scheduled to take place in Lahore on March 19 remains in limbo. Punjab’s interim Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi insisted that his cabinet is not willing to back off from the security expenditures for holding the tournament.
Mohsin Naqvi had told reporters in Lahore that the Punjab government spent Rs 600 million on the PSL last year, adding “his cabinet is not ready to sanction the expenses” this time due to being an interim setup.
However, following a Saturday cabinet meeting, they made the decision to bear 50% of the bill payment and ask PCB to bear the remaining PKR 250 million. But, PCB and the PSL franchises stuck to their guns and refused to pay any sum that the provincial government requested.
PSL 2023: PCB Chairman Najam Sethi meets PM Shehbaz Sharif, says PCB won’t pay additional cost for PSL security, Follow PSL 2023 LIVE Updates
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