PCB denies asking ICC for compensation due to lack of international cricket in Pakistan

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday made it clear that it has not asked for any compensation fund to be set up by the International Cricket Council (ICC) because foreign teams are not touring Pakistan. “There is an absolutely wrong impression that the PCB has asked the ICC to set up a compensation fund because teams are not touring Pakistan since last six years,” an official source told PTI. “The factual position is that PCB has suffered losses of around $100 million since 2007 because India has refused to play Pakistan in a bilateral series. Pakistan is the only Test-playing nation against whom India is not playing,” the source explained. [caption id=“attachment_3025236” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of PCB chairman Shahryar Khan. Getty Images[/caption] The source said that the PCB had basically told the ICC Executive Board that since it was the only country India refused to play, Pakistan deserved to get special funds from the ICC to compensate for this. He pointed out that Pakistan had taken its stance because ironically while India had no issues playing against Pakistan in ICC events, which fetched the world body millions of dollars, they had avoided a bilateral series since 2007. “The bottom line is that Pakistan is the only country not getting matches from India and it is still getting the same share as other countries from the ICC for its events,” the source said. “Indian board has not met its commitments despite signing a MoU with the PCB for six series between 2015 and 2022. PCB only signed the ICC ‘Big three’ governance system document because India under the supervision of ICC signed the MoU with the PCB,” the source disclosed. He said it was a wrong impression that Pakistan cricket is in danger of going bankrupt, which is why it had approached the ICC for funds. “The PCB has neither asked for any loan or aid. They are asking for their right,” he said. “It is a credit that despite international teams not touring Pakistan and India not playing with Pakistan the PCB has managed to remain financially stable and in good health. But what India is doing is unfair and PCB now want more funds from the ICC events,” he said.