PCB claims revenue demand for Bangladesh tour justified

Thursday, 5 February 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Pakistan Cricket Board has sought to justify its demand for a share of income from the Bangladesh Cricket Board by saying that the scheduled tour to Bangladesh is “technically” Pakistan’s home series. According to the present FTP, Bangladesh are supposed to host Pakistan for two Tests, three ODIs and a T20 between April 10 and May 7. However, the PCB is yet to hand the BCB an assurance on the tour because the latter hasn’t confirmed if it will share tour profits and send Bangladesh U19, A or women’s teams to Pakistan. Responding to BCB president Nazmul Hassan’s statements on Monday - where he stated that the Bangladesh board could pay part of the tour costs - the PCB said that the situation was “dramatically different to what had been portrayed”. “Pakistan had toured Bangladesh in 2011, and in accordance with the established principals of reciprocity, it is Bangladesh’s turn to tour Pakistan - which despite a written commitment in 2012, BCB did not honour,” the PCB said in a press release. “So while in principal this tour belongs to Pakistan, in order to accommodate BCB, PCB had shown willingness to visit Bangladesh for two Tests, three ODIs and a T20I in April-May this year. “And since this is a Pakistan tour to be hosted by Bangladesh, hence, the demand for a share in income.” The PCB added: “It also needs to be acknowledged that touring is an expensive proposition, which all Boards finance from profits accruing from home tours. Since this is technically Pakistan’s home tour, PCB is being exceptionally fair in asking Bangladesh to pay a certain percentage to offset its costs.” Hassan had claimed that the PCB had put pressure on the BCB for not touring Pakistan in 2012. Bangladesh had confirmed in an ICC meeting that they would be the first team to tour Pakistan since the 2009 Lahore attack, but backed out soon due to a writ petition in the High Court. Hassan had also claimed the PCB had created more pressure on the BCB by saying Pakistan wouldn’t come to play the Asia Cup in 2014 but was forced to after then ACC chairman N Srinivasan indicated that Afghanistan would replace Pakistan in the tournament. In the last four years, PCB and BCB relations have been embroiled as Bangladesh repeatedly pulled out from touring Pakistan, citing safety and security concerns. During the Zaka Ashraf regime, the PCB had disengaged communication with the BCB and barred its cricketers from featuring in the Bangladesh Premier League. The last full bilateral series between the two teams was when Pakistan toured Bangladesh in late 2011.Pakistan has been forced to host its home series mostly in the UAE but the PCB played down the possibility of hosting teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe at offshore venues. The PCB understands that hosting Bangladesh in the UAE or playing them in their home country is not financially viable.

Junaid Khan out of World Cup

Pakistan fast bowler Junaid Khan has been ruled out of the World Cup after failing a fitness test. Junaid had already pulled out of the ODI series against New Zealand due to a thigh injury sustained in training and despite undergoing a rigorous rehabilitation program at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, he is believed to have failed his test marginally. Junaid had originally sustained a “Grade-3 osteochondral” fracture in his knee last October, ruling him out of Pakistan’s entire international winter season in the UAE, against Australia and New Zealand. He recovered from that injury to make the World Cup squad, but had a fall while bowling in the nets during training at the Gaddafi Stadium on January 15 and was sent to Pakistan’s medical staff with pain in his right thigh and elbow. Initial tests reported a Grade-1 injury, which Junaid was expected to recover from in a couple of weeks, with the PCB’s doctors recommending that he take thorough rest and avoid travelling. However, Junaid went on a long journey by car last month to his home-town Swabi, which is believed to have aggravated his injury. The PCB’s medical panel concurred that he had not recovered sufficiently from “the traction injury of the nerve in the posterior right thigh” and recommended recuperation at the NCA. Junaid was subsequently withdrawn from the New Zealand tour and Bilawal Bhatti was picked as his replacement for the two-match series.