The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) found itself in a deadlock with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on Tuesday, as it sought additional compensation for arranging chartered flights between Pakistan and Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup, a tournament they co-hosted in August-September.
The Asia Cup 2023 adopted a hybrid format, taking place in both Pakistan and Sri Lanka following the approval of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s proposal. The majority of the matches were held in Sri Lanka.
A credible insider in the PCB has revealed that, in addition to pursuing tournament hosting fees of approximately $250,000 and a share of ticketing and sponsorship proceeds, they have also requested additional compensation.
The source said, “The additional money is for expenses incurred on renting chartered flights for teams between Pakistan and Sri Lanka and other extra expenses like additional hotel and transport fees, which were not included in the initial budget for the Asia Cup.”
The ACC is reportedly unwilling to cover additional expenses for the PCB, asserting that Pakistan had initially agreed to the hybrid model in Sri Lanka in exchange for hosting four Asia Cup games domestically. Classic Travel, a Sri Lanka-based company, was paid $281,000 to organize four chartered flights between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, a payment the PCB’s Cricket Management Committee (CMC) was hesitant to make in advance.
The shift to the hybrid model occurred when India declined to play in Pakistan due to security concerns. Despite initially hosting only four matches, expenses increased, allegedly because PCB management committee head Zaka Ashraf relocated one game from Lahore to Multan, near his hometown.
The source claims that as the ACC chose Sri Lanka as the venue, they should bear the cost of chartered flights and additional expenses. With the majority of the Asia Cup held in Sri Lanka, the PCB had to arrange flights between Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
The company providing the flights demanded $281,700 upfront for four chartered flights, and the PCB considered selling vacant seats to fans but abandoned the idea due to security concerns. Additionally, there are allegations that a senior PCB official utilized one of the chartered flights to take his family to Colombo.
Source: Pro Pakistani