Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, is determined to host the forthcoming Test series against England at home, but he is annoyed that the international cricket department has not yet finalized the schedule.
The three Test matches between Pakistan and England are slated to begin on October 7 and will be held at Multan, Karachi, and Rawalpindi.
However, there are some questions over the stadiums’ availability because of the building taking place at these locations in front of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2020.
An source revealed to PTI that “the international department is yet to even decide where the first match would be held” with less than a month to go before the first Test.
The official announcement of the tour itinerary has not yet been made by the responsible department, notwithstanding Naqvi’s rejection of a request to shift the Test series to South Africa or the United Arab Emirates.
“The PCB’s reputation would be harmed by the series’ relocation, and Rawalpindi and Multan ought to host the three-match series,” the chairman stated emphatically.
According to the insider from the board, there was even excitement among the Barmy Army and the English cricket board on the location of the first Test match: Rawalpindi or Multan.
The insider claimed, “The Chairman is not happy because the board’s revenue generation opportunities from the three matches are more affected the more the venues and itinerary are delayed.”
According to the insider, the broadcasters have had difficulty selling the series’ international broadcasting rights in this particular scenario.
“As they have not yet found a buyer to show the matches in the UK, even the broadcasters who have purchased the rights to sell the series internationally are concerned,” he continued.
“Given this context, the PCB’s prospects of generating healthy profits from the England series are being negatively impacted by the longer the announcement is delayed.”
Recently, in the first round of three-day matches across the nation, the PCB was forced to call off the National under-19 championship after just one day of competition.
“There were multiple complaints that the regional teams were not selected according to due process, and the event was launched without the board’s finance department’s approval or release of the championship budget,” he continued. These were the reasons for the postponement.
The insider disclosed that certain discrepancies were also discovered in the event’s budget that was presented.
