PCB defacto head Najam Sethi makes announcement on Twitter
\n LAHORE
\nPakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi on Sunday announced that HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches in Lahore and Rawalpindi would \u201ccontinue as scheduled\u201d.
\nSethi expressed his gratitude to Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi for being \u201ckind enough to agree to share cost of lighting routes during PSL matches in Lahore\u201d.
\nThe Punjab government and PCB had remained locked in negotiations over security arrangements for the matches in Lahore and Rawalpindi with the former demanding Rs450 million for security.
\nThe Punjab government had previously agreed to light up the route from the team hotels to the Gaddafi Stadium, but its sta\u00acndoff with the PCB had continued to drag on, making it seem like the PSL would be shifted from Lahore and Rawalpindi to Karachi after an agreement on security expenditure eluded the two sides, on Saturday.
\nThe Punjab government had lowered its demand for security funds (from Rs450m to Rs250m) but the PCB was refusing to flinch, stating that it was the obligation of the government to provide protection to the teams, as per the agreements signed in 2014 for the restoration of international cricket in Pakistan.
\nThe PCB had taken its patron-in-chief Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the loop as well.
\nMansoor Qadir, focal person for the Punjab government ministerial committee, had told media that the lights would remain installed as the government did not want to snatch the glitzy T20 extravaganza away from the citizens of Lahore. However, he had maintained that the provincial cabinet would not enter into further negotiations with the PCB until the latter committed to pay Rs250m for the purchase of security lights, for future use.
\nAfter the Punjab cabinet met on Saturday to formalise its stance on the issue, the PCB had held a meeting of its own to discuss the issue. Sources in the board had confirmed that it had received a verbal offer from the government to reduce the amount to Rs250m but the board did not agree.
\nSources had said the PCB was clear in its stance, but the government was not. \u201cFirst, it sent a budget asking the PCB to pay Rs900m, then gradually reduced it and has now come down to Rs250m,\u201d the source had said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PCB defacto head Najam Sethi makes announcement on Twitter LAHORE Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi on Sunday announced that HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches in Lahore and Rawalpindi would \u201ccontinue as scheduled\u201d. Sethi expressed his gratitude to Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi for being \u201ckind enough to agree to share cost […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":191266,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[11904],"class_list":{"0":"post-316214","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-najam-sethi"},"yoast_head":"\n