The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will contribute Rs100m for hosting Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 8 matches in Punjab.
According to sources, PCB will pay Rs100m to Punjab's caretaker government to host PSL 8 matches in Lahore and Rawalpindi.
Initially, Punjab government asked Rs900m from PCB in return of arrangements for PSL 8 matches in the province. PCB resisted against paying the amount after which doubts were created on PSL 8's continuity in Punjab.
PCB prepared plan B and that was to shift remaining matches to Karachi which already hosted league's nine matches as per schedule.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister, also the patron of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Shehbaz Sharif intervened in the matter and bridged the gap between the two parties.
PCB management committee chairman Najam Sethi approached PM Shehbaz over the matter of hosting PSL 8 matches in Punjab as per schedule.
According to sources, in his conversation with PM Shehbaz, Sethi reiterated that the PCB won’t pay the additional cost for security arrangements. He added that if the demand is not withdrawn by the Punjab government, the PCB will be forced to shift matches to Karachi.
PM Shehbaz's intervention sorted out the problem. PCB and Punjab government agreed on mutual terms and announced the continuity of the tournament in the province as per schedule.
When this story was filed, Lahore was hosting its first game of this season between Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi.
Rawalpindi will host most (11) matches from March 1 onwards. Earlier, Multan hosted PSL's opening ceremony for the first time in history. The City of Saints hosted five matches which saw massive crowd in each contest.
Faizan Lakhani Faizan Lakhani is Deputy Editor (Sports) at Geo News.