Karachi: The deal signed between Pakistan Cricket Board and Dubai Sports City (DSC) is not only going to reap rich dividends for the PCB, but also for Pakistani cricketers as they will be earning around $100,000 each for playing in the offshore matches.
Under the three-year deal signed between both the parties, the PCB stands to get paid around $3 million for each event it plays in the DSC.
For each event to be played in the offshore venue, the DSC will pay the PCB $1.5 million and $100,000 to each of 15 Pakistani players selected for the tournament.
“The Dubai Sports City management will hold the broadcasting, sponsorship and advertising rights of these events planned in the next three years,” one source said.
The sources added that the DSC officials were confident of completing their cricket stadium by late this year and have already started negotiating with different boards to enter into long term agreements.
“For the 2009 tri-series, they are in talks with South Africa and Sri Lanka. So far except for India and Australia, they have got positive response from the other boards,” the source stated.
PCB has not announced the details of the deal, the amount $ US 9 mil over a period of three years sounds too low if it includes most of Pakistan’s domestic International matches and especially when it includes a T20 league, its also interesting to note that no test matches are included in the deal, although the deal will bring back some life to Pakistan cricket but apparently looks shady and will have its negative affects in the long run, In my opinion PCB acted in haste they should have waited a little longer in order to negotiate a better deal.
As long as cricket in Pakistan is not tampered with (in the sense that it is gradually eased away), I see no harm if this is taken up as an additional cause…an additional exercise.
There is no doubt that cricket in Pakistan needs a bit of a fillip…nay, more than just a fillip, and this could be just the tonic. If it is stuff like T20 and tri-series and the like, I think it is good for Pakistan under the circumstances (the fiscally inclined can tell us if it is good overall)
However, bilateral series – tests and one-dayers – should be played on Pakistan soil.
I am a firm believer of that and it is not that I am saying so because I am not the cricket player to play or my son is not the cricket player going to play…if I had either chance, I’d do the same as long as my government hasn’t stopped me from touring.
ah ok… then this is awesome news
Scorpi
PCB has made it clear that none of the Pakistan’s FTP matches will be played in Dubai, Dubai matches will be outside of ICC’s FTP program and will be organized by the Dubai authorities all the sponsorship and broadcasting rights will be retained by them PCB will get a flat fee of Us 9 mil over a period of three years, as long as Pakistan does not lose any of its domestic matches and choose Dubai as an alternate home venue nothing is lost, but I think they have shown an alternate to the rest of the world now everybody will insist them to play in Dubai, which nobody in Pakistan wants.
At least some movement towards any kind of resolution. Though, I must say the real deal is always in the broadcasting rights in terms of the moolah. What have they lost here?
Q
So far no home games have been shifted but you never know PCB has been pushed against the wall by other boards, I think PCB has done whatever they could but things are beyond their control, we can’t change our geographical location, we are caught in the middle of the storm and will continue to pay the price for being the ally of allies for quite some time to come.
Thank god someone is reporting the right thing.
People are feeling that PCB will shift Pakistan’s home games to Dubai – even sites like BBC are reporting that. Thats wrong.
A pragmatic decision.