Multan
\nPunjab interim Chief Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi has said that the provincial cabinet is against taking up the task of spending money for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches scheduled to take place in Lahore and Rawalpindi.
\n\u201cLast year, Rs600 million were spent on security arrangements for PSL matches in Punjab,\u201d Naqvi told journalists during a media talk in Lahore on Friday, as speculations are rife about the rest of the matches being shifted to Karachi altogether.
\n\u201cSince we are an interim setup, we don\u2019t have the authority to spend such a heavy amount. The cabinet is also against such an expenditure,\u201d the caretaker chief minister noted.
\nThe development came after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) gave an ultimatum to the Punjab government over holding the PSL season eight matches in the province.
\nAccording to sources, PCB is considering the possibility of shifting the Punjab leg of PSL 8 to Karachi after receiving a hefty bill from the provincial government.
\nThe PCB and the PSL franchises unanimously decided Friday not to pay an additional cost of Rs450m to the Punjab government.
\nIf the bill is not waived by tomorrow, the matches will be officially shifted to Karachi. A meeting between PCB and the Punjab government, to discuss the matter, is also scheduled to take place.
\nAccording to sources, the PCB has already started preparations for holding additional matches in Karachi. Meanwhile, the revised schedule has also been discussed with the franchises.
\nThe deadlock could also result in white-ball matches between Pakistan and New Zealand, in April and May, being moved out of Punjab.
\nSchedule of matches in Lahore, Pindi
\nFeb 26 – Lahore Qalandars v Peshawar Zalmi, Gaddafi Stadium
\nFeb 27 – Lahore Qalandars v Islamabad United, Gaddafi Stadium
\nMar 1 – Peshawar Zalmi v Karachi Kings, Pindi Cricket Stadium
\nMar 2 – Lahore Qalandars v Quetta Gladiators, Gaddafi Stadium
\nMar 3 – Islamabad United v Karachi Kings, Pindi Cricket Stadium
\nMar 4 – Lahore Qalandars v Multan Sultans, Gaddafi Stadium
\nMar 5 – Islamabad United v Quetta Gladiators, Pindi Cricket Stadium
\nMar 6 – Quetta Gladiators v Karachi Kings, Pindi Cricket Stadium
\nMar 7 – Peshawar Zalmi v Lahore Qalandars, Pindi Cricket Stadium; Islamabad United v Multan Sultans, Pindi Cricket Stadium
\nMar 8 \u2013 Pakistan Women\u2019s League Exhibition Match 1, Pindi Cricket Stadium; Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators, Pindi Cricket Stadium
\nMar 9 – Islamabad United v Lahore Qalandars, Pindi Cricket Stadium
\nMar 10 – Pakistan Women\u2019s League Exhibition Match 2, Pindi Cricket Stadium; Peshawar Zalmi v Multan Sultans, Pindi Cricket Stadium
\nMar 11 – Pakistan Women\u2019s League Exhibition Match 3, Pindi Cricket Stadium; Quetta Gladiators v Multan Sultans, Pindi Cricket Stadium
\nMar 12 – Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi, Pindi Cricket Stadium; Lahore Qalandars v Karachi Kings, Gaddafi Stadium
\nMar 15 – Qualifier (1 v 2), Gaddafi Stadium
\nMar 16 – Eliminator 1 (3 v 4), Gaddafi Stadium
\nMar 17 – Eliminator 2 (loser Qualifier v winner Eliminator 1), Gaddafi Stadium
\nMar 19 \u2013 Final, Gaddafi Stadium<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Multan Punjab interim Chief Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi has said that the provincial cabinet is against taking up the task of spending money for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches scheduled to take place in Lahore and Rawalpindi. \u201cLast year, Rs600 million were spent on security arrangements for PSL matches in Punjab,\u201d Naqvi told journalists […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":315948,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-315936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n