PM Shehbaz promises Sethi: Najam Sethi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee, called Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday to discuss a standoff with the Punjab government over security costs for the Lahore and Rawalpindi legs of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight.
According to sources, the premier gave Sethi reassurance and unwavering support over the matter.
The PSL final, which is slated to take place in Lahore on March 19, as well as matches in two other Punjab cities, are in jeopardy since interim Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi reiterated that his cabinet is unwilling to reduce the costs associated with security for hosting the tournament.
The Punjab government spent Rs600 million on the PSL last year, but Naqvi told reporters in Lahore that his cabinet is not prepared to cover the costs this time because it is an interim setup.
According to the sources, Sethi spoke with the prime minister and briefed him on the subject of security costs, and PM Shehbaz promised the PCB chief all cooperation and assistance.
Consequently, the matches will have to be moved to Karachi, according to the PCB chairman, if the government doesn’t stop demanding money for security and doesn’t comply with the requests.
However, According to the PCB president, the PSL is a national competition, and the national institutions are in charge of making the necessary provisions.