The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) marketing director, Usman Waheed, has submitted his resignation to the board’s chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, amid controversy surrounding the alleged underselling of the 2024-25 home season’s broadcast rights.
According to a PCB spokesperson, the resignation has been received but not yet reviewed by Naqvi.
The controversy arose after the PCB sold the broadcast rights for the home season, which includes seven Test matches, a tri-nation ODI tournament, three ODIs, and five T20Is, for Rs1.72 billion to a consortium of ARY and Tower Sports—well below the reserve price of Rs3.2 billion.
Although an Australian consultant handled the sale, Waheed’s role in assisting the process has come under scrutiny.
Additionally, the PCB’s marketing and domestic cricket departments are facing criticism for failing to meet the goals set for the new Champions tournaments. The delays have already pushed the start of the Champions One-Day Cup, initially scheduled for September 1 in Faisalabad, by 11 days.
Compounding the issues, sources indicate that another PCB director may face resignation or dismissal due to a conflict of interest inquiry. The director allegedly awarded contracts to a single company in exchange for personal gain.
In what was meant to be a landmark year for Pakistan cricket, the PCB found itself in a difficult situation after selling the broadcast rights for nearly half of the reserve price. State-owned Pakistan Television (PTV), which initially dropped out of the bidding, later sub-licensed the rights from the winning consortium for Rs500 million—far below its original bid of Rs1.6 billion.
The broadcast rights cover a 28-month period, during which Pakistan will host 11 Tests, 26 ODIs, and 24 T20Is, including matches against England, South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, and Australia. Despite such a busy cricketing schedule, the PCB’s hasty decision has raised concerns about the management of its commercial interests.
Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
