KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan has suggested that the country should get a higher percentage of profits from games against arch-rivals India at International Cricket Council (ICC) events. Shaharyar believes this is one of the ways to raise funds after the terror-ravaged country was stripped off hosting international cricket and there are still no signs of the deadlock being broken with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in terms of bilateral series. “Pakistan continues to play India in ICC events. The interest and finances that these generate are unparalleled. Tickets for the World Cup matches in Adelaide and Calcutta sold out quicker than other major sporting events – Wimbledon, the Olympics being two examples,” Shaharyar said in a paper to PCB’s directors. “The financial income in ICC championships benefits enormously from India-Pakistan clashes. Currently, all members benefit from the windfall from these matches. Pakistan should be given a higher percentage of this income.” Shaharyar presented the proposals at the ICC’s recent annual conference in Edinburgh. He also urged the ICC asking them to compensate the board for having to arrange home fixture in other countries. Since 2009, when a Sri Lankan team bus was attacked in Lahore, Pakistan has hosted only one limited overs series against Zimbabwe. They have had to play most of their home matches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which has placed a huge burden on the board. This in turn is affecting the development of the game in the nation, the paper stated. “Pakistan is the only country that plays its home matches in a third country,” the paper said. “This has placed a huge financial burden on Pakistan cricket. This includes having to play host in one of the most expensive destinations in the world. Dubai, for example, was recently ranked as the most expensive holiday destination. To host two teams – Pakistan and the opposition, scorers, umpires, other officials – in the UAE is prohibitively expensive. In addition, the hiring of grounds is a further drain. Little is recouped through gate receipts. Therefore, every time we play at home it is a further drain on resources. Pakistan is also suffering cricket-wise. Many of the national teams have never played a match at home against international teams. These cricketers have been denied the opportunity to benefit from home crowds. At the same time the public is starved of cricket at home – when Zimbabwe toured all five matches (two T20 Internationals, three One-Day Internationals) were sold out in minutes.” The political situation between India and Pakistan has also had an impact. The BCCI had signed a Memorandum of Understanding to play six series with Pakistan between 2015 and 2023, with the first to be hosted by the PCB in the UAE in December. As has often happened in the past, the strained political relationship put the series in doubt. The last full series between the countries, including Tests and ODIs, was in 2007 when Pakistan toured India. Since then Pakistan have played only one limited-overs series in India, in December 2012, and the teams have mostly met in multi-team competitions and ICC events. India’s refusal to play has cost the PCB over $80 million in terms of broadcasting and other commercial deals. “This needs to be further put in perspective when we remember that India has refused to play Pakistan since 2006,” the paper stated. “Therefore, the principal source of income has been cut off for a decade. Pakistan, in the meantime, has twice been to India since 2006 without reciprocation and the 2014 MoU has not been fulfilled as the Indian government has yet to lift the embargo on cricketing relations.”