Former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Najam Sethi has criticised the board and the management of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) over the way the sixth edition of the tournament was handled. In a series of tweets, Sethi, who launched the league in 2016, highlighted the problems and suggested some solutions to resume the event with better planning.
“Bio-secure bubble for six teams, support staff, commentators, broadcast teams, etc is very difficult,” said Sethi. “It should have been outsourced to [a] competent [and] professional third-party like Ministry of Health, Security Agencies as during IPL in Dubai, NZ, SL, etc.”
Highlighting the problems, Sethi said: “COVID tests were not done regularly. In fact, the broadcast teams, ground staff at stadium and hotels, etc were outside the bubble while being in constant touch and contact with players.”
Sethi also said that the reputation, trust and credibility of PSL and PCB has suffered and “big damage has been done, especially with foreign teams and players”.
He further said: “Commercial interests of all partners, sponsors, franchises, rights holders, etc in PSL 6 have suffered enormously. They will claim damages and conflict will arise.” The former chairperson feared that PSL might go bankrupt given the losses suffered.
Presenting a list of solutions, Sethi suggested that PCB should make immediate arrangements to shift the remaining matches of PSL6 to United Arab Emirates (UAE), take franchises and other contracted parties into confidence and assure them that PCB will bear the full cost of this arrangement and convince foreign players for availability in UAE.
Earlier, when the league was postponed, the former Chairman expressed his disappointment over the development saying: “We — the people, media, security agencies, franchises and players — built PSL brand with sweat, blood and tears.”
“The nation is reeling with despair and outrage at criminal negligence by this PCB Admin that has disrupted the tournament,” he added.
