Relations between PCB and PSL turn sour after 3 franchises fail to fulfill contractual obligations

Relations between franchises in the Pakistan Super League and the country’s Cricket Board (PCB) have embittered. This is after the three teams of PSL which failed to fulfil their financial and sponsorship agreements with the board.

A strongly-worded email has been sent to the PCB by the six franchise owners of the league. The dispute enraged as the Chairman and CEO of the board left for vacations to the UK, because of which the board had cancelled a scheduled governing council meeting of the PSL on July 28.

But instead of embracing a yielding tone, PSL project executive Shoaib Naved in his reply said that in future, three franchises who had constantly failed to fulfil their financial and other obligations, would not be part of the governing council or any discussions until they cleared their dues.

A reliable source in the board confirmed that the project executive of PSL, Shoaib Naved clarified to the board that the other franchises shouldn’t suffer because of the defaulting franchises. “Shoaib Naved made it clear that the board has decided why should the franchises who had kept their financial matters with the board up to date suffer because of the defaulting franchises,” revealed the source.

Playoff matches of PSL 2020 have been indefinitely postponed

He said the board has been invariably reminding the franchises to submit all the details of their sponsorship and other deals and fulfill their financial obligations to the board. The source also voiced that some of the franchises have been inversing the board to guarantee payment of their share of the PSL revenues.

“The PCB has taken the stance that until the franchises don’t submit all details asked for as per contractual obligations they can’t get their shares plus defaulting franchises have to first clear their dues and give all sponsorship details before things can move ahead,” the source further said.

Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the four playoff matches of the 5th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) have been indefinitely postponed from March. This resulted in the antagonism between the board and some of the franchises.

The franchises who have made their way to the knockout stage are asserting the board to stage these four matches to decide the winner. On the other hand, the board has been reluctant to continue hosting the Knock out games as it opines that it will suffer huge losses. The board is keen to declare the winner on the basis of the points table following the completion of the league stage of the tournament.