All PSL franchises are defaulters in different ways, reveals BoG.

LAHORE: All six franchises of Pakistan Super League (PSL) were found to be defaulters by different aspects, the PCB Board of Governors disclosed during its meeting held here on Thursday.

The BoG also failed to give final approval to the new domestic restructure, under which the role of the affiliated departmental teams is to end.

Presided over by PCB chairman Ehsan Mani, the meeting was attended by BoG members Asad Ali Khan, retired Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain, retired Lt Gen Javed Zia, Mohammad Ayaz Butt, Dr Najeeb Samie, Kabir Ahmed Khan, Shahrez Abdullah Khan and Shah Dost. Akbar Durrani participated in the meeting as ex-officio member.

Dawn learnt that the six-hour meeting was informed that all the PSL franchises were defaulters on payment issue by different aspects.

However, the PCB accepted the reasons cited by the franchises for being defaulter, and the BoG members hoped that all the commitments of the franchises would be fulfilled with the passage of time.

The franchises have faced financial crunch mainly due to the recent decrease in the value of Pakistani rupee against US dollar.

Though the PSL franchises have received some relief in the form of income tax exemption, according to a new amendment made by the federal government, it is yet to be clear whether the same exemption can be given to the PCB.

'The BoG was briefed on the issues facing the franchisees, and informed it that through the efforts of the PCB and the franchisees, the federal government had given a tax exemption from July 1, 2019, while efforts were underway to get exemption or reduction in tax rates from the Punjab government,' said the press release issued by the PCB on Thursday.

Meanwhile on the instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the PCB is trying to end the role of departmental teams in domestic cricket, by allowing only regional teams to compete. To replace the existing system with the new one, it has been proposed that 16 departments have to sponsor one region each. Though the task force on domestic cricket revamp has presented a report on the new structure, its final approval is still pending.

It is learnt that the eight cricket regions to be sponsored by various departments, as proposed by the task force are: Lahore (by SNGPL), Karachi (HBL), Rawalpindi (KRL), Fata (SSGC), Islamabad (PTV), Faisalabad (NBP), Multan (ZTBL) and Peshawar (Wapda).

In Grade-II, the proposed arrangement will be: Sialkot (to be sponsored by State Bank), Hyderabad (Port Qasim)...