Daily Times

Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan have reportedly turned down lucrative offers from illegal betting entities despite the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) collaboration with surrogate betting companies.

The PCB, in apparent violation of regulations, accepted sponsorship from surrogate betting sponsor Dafa News, allegedly paving the way for over 150 illegal surrogate betting sites and apps to operate in Pakistan across digital platforms. This move is said to have prompted some Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises to compel players on an individual level to endorse shirt logos and provide image rights to these illicit betting companies.

Babar Azam had reportedly declined a yearly contract worth Rs250 million, while Muhammad Rizwan rejected a Rs100 million yearly contract from a single surrogate betting company, citing their stance against such sponsorships and contracts that breach the law.

During the previous PSL tournament, Muhammad Rizwan, as the captain of Multan Sultans, refused to display the logo of WOLF777 on his kit.

Documented emails, including one sent to Babar Azam by the 1XBET betting company, indicate the players’ refusal of such offers. The company is said to have told the player that it was impressed by his social media platform and wanted to do work with him.

Babar Azam’s representative, Saya Corporation, responded, stating, “As Muslims, we do not support any betting or surrogate betting brands.” Rizwan apparently received a very similar email.

The PCB is alleged to have granted image rights of Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan to these betting companies without their consent. Additionally, some PSL franchises reportedly enforced players to wear the logos of these surrogate betting companies, violating the players’ freedom of speech and rights. “Babar, Rizwan along with others have clearly refused contracts from such companies, yet the PCB along with PSL franchises ,has given their image rights to us,” said a source in one of the betting companies.

According to him, some of Pakistan Super League franchises also forced players to wear the logo of these surrogate betting companies at all costs, a clear violation of the freedom of speech and freedom of rights of the players. Responding to these allegations, a PCB spokesperson emphasized that since the ‘Zero Tolerance Against Surrogate Betting Companies’ notification by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, no such sponsors had been engaged. The spokesperson maintained that Dafa News was a news organization, and their legal and commercial departments found no common ownership stake with a betting concern.

Despite the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting categorizing Dafa News as a surrogate betting company operating in Pakistan, the PCB spokesperson argued that allegations against these companies had not been ratified by a court of law. “The PCB strictly prohibits all forms of betting or associated activities. Certain news sites may have been sponsors, but it has always been ensured that there is no ownership overall of any sort in terms of their certificate of incorporation and shareholders with any alleged betting concerns,” the spokesperson maintained.

Surrogate betting companies reportedly infiltrated Pakistan through cricket around 2021, with four out of the total six PSL franchises having betting surrogates as key sponsors as of PSL 2023. The government has initiated a crackdown on over 150 surrogate betting companies operating in Pakistan, causing significant economic losses. However, despite more than a month since the government’s notification, these betting applications continue to operate without any apparent action from the authorities.