Daily Times

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has postponed the bidding process of the Pakistan Super League for the second time in a row. The bidding process date has been announced twice but has been postponed twice. Apparently, the PCB management committee, under Zaka Asharaf, is not authorised to take a two-year bid as it is beyond its tenure and mandate.

Sources say postponement of the PSL bidding process is leading to questions in the cricket circles whether this would hit the credibility of the PCB.

A damning report published on Hum News website regarding Rs.14 billion irregularities, non-transparent contracts in the PSL accounts has not only hit the PCB hard but also put it in hot waters. No clarification has been issued by the PCB yet. According to the report, “top auditors have detected non-transparent contracts, losses, and serious irregularities totaling Rs14 billion in the accounts of the Pakistan Super League.”

The PCB has also announced dates of the PSL-9 to be held from February 17, 2024 to March 17, 2024. The mega event will be held in four cities across Pakistan: Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Multan. It’s important to note that there was an initial proposal to relocate the entire PSL-9 to the United Arab Emirates due to the upcoming general elections in Pakistan.

However, the PCB ultimately decided to keep the tournament within the country. At the same time, it is interesting to note that the PCB management committee has been quite active since November and multiple changes have taken place within the board, including the appointment of new head selectors, coaches, team captains, despite having no mandate.

Former Attorney General Shah Khawar has been appointed as the PCB’s chief election commissioner for a three-month term. The PCB election process will be overseen by Shah Khawar, with the deadline for the chairman’s election set for February 4, 2024.