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The proposed new T20 competition in England is likely to dilute the quality of domestic 50-over cricket and provide “another kick” to its future, according to new PCA chairman, Daryl Mitchell.While Mitchell, the Worcestershire top-order batsman who was recently elected to the PCA role, regards the launch of the eight-team T20 competition, scheduled for 2020, as “inevitable” he has reservations about several aspects of it and promised to work hard to ensure the interests of all 400 PCA members are protected.”The new T20 competition looks like a great opportunity for the 90 to 100 lads selected to play in it,” Mitchell told ESPNcricinfo. “But the role of the PCA is to look out for the other 300 players, too.”The plan at the moment is to play the 50-over competition during the window when the new T20 competition will be on. But if you take the best 100 white-ball players out of the tournament it is pretty inevitable there will be a dilution in quality.”We’re told players not in action in the new T20 competition may be made available to their counties, but 50-over cricket is probably already the format given the least priority by the players – something that is reflected in the prize money – and this will be another kick for it.”Our role will be to ensure the money we’re told will come into the sport trickles down for the benefit of everyone.”Mitchell’s personal views would appear to conflict quite sharply with the ECB’s approach in several areas. He believes a partial return to free-to-air broadcasting is essential if the game is to reach a new audience, he preferred the idea of a two-division solution (with promotion and relegation) in the T20 debate, and he argues for a need to increase the wages of young players.He accepts, however, that the ECB has “an incredibly difficult job” in trying to “look after so many stakeholders” and that his role is to communicate not his own views but those of his membership. “It’s about feeding back the views of the collective,” he said.”One of the challenging parts of the job is the need to balance the long-term health of the game with the short-term benefits to our current member. We have to remember that, if we don’t look after the game, we might not have any future members.”We appreciate that the ECB are trying to ensure the health of the game in the long-term and we appreciate we’re one of many stakeholders. We know we have to balance our aspirations with the aspirations of everyone else and I’m looking forward to working with the ECB to that end.”But he believes the players may have been “a bit naïve” in their enthusiasm for the new T20 competition and that reality has “hit home in recent times”.”As a Worcestershire player, we really look forward to the T20 competition as it provides us with a chance to play in front of packed houses and on big grounds,” he said. “As things stand, we go into that competition each year with a chance of winning it. To have that taken away from us is a bit of a blow.”When the new competition was first talked about, I think everyone thought they were about to become millionaires. Now people are realising that only about a quarter of us will play. We’re going to need quite a lot of info from the ECB.”From a personal point of view, I liked the two-division idea and, from a personal point of view, I think we need to get some cricket back on free to air. I think the ECB recognise that, too, and they are very clear about trying to raise the profile of the game.”Responding to the ECB’s reported attempt to change the mechanism by which the domestic salary cap is calculated, Mitchell suggested his attention was more on players at the lower end of the salary spectrum.”The salary cap isn’t relevant to many clubs,” Mitchell said. “I’m more worried up upping the minimum salaries. There are players in county cricket earning around £15,000 a year, which I don’t think reflects the skill and dedication required to be a professional athlete.”I’m told that nothing is decided about the salary cap yet, but I think our main priority will be making sure some of the money coming into the game filters down to the lower ends.”

Scott Kuggeleijn has been found not guilty of rape by a jury at the Hamilton District Court.Kuggeleijn, 25, an allrounder, plays for Northern Districts in New Zealand’s domestic circuit and is the son of former New Zealand Test cricketer Chris Kuggeleijn.The case dates back to an incident that occurred on May 17, 2015. The jury deliberated for less than an hour before coming back with the not-guilty verdict.In a release following the verdict, Northern Districts’ chief executive Peter Roach said: “This has been a terribly difficult situation for all concerned. Northern Districts is an organisation which embraces inclusivity and promotes respect towards women. As such, the charges against Scott were a grave concern.”The case had to be re-tired after a jury could not reach a verdict in August 2016.

The meeting to select India’s squads for the ODI and T20I series against England beginning on January 15 was delayed in Mumbai on Friday because of a lack of clarity over protocol in the wake of the Supreme Court order on January 2, which left the BCCI without most of its office-bearers. The meeting was supposed to begin at 12.30 pm IST but it only began at 3.15 pm and was eventually convened by the board’s CEO Rahul Johri.The procedure until now was that the BCCI secretary convenes the selection meeting; the confusion arose with the incumbent, Ajay Shirke, being removed from his post by the Supreme Court. On Friday Shirke’s deputy, the joint secretary Amitabh Choudhary, asked Johri to delay the selection meeting until the evening to enable him to reach the venue in Mumbai. Johri in turn asked the Lodha Committee secretary Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who replied that Choudhary was no longer an office bearer under the terms of the Lodha Committee’s recommendations and that the selection meeting should proceed as scheduled.

Eligibility criteria for BCCI and state office bearers

“All the office bearers of BCCI and of its affiliated State Associations who fail to meet the norms recommended by the Committee and accepted by this Court, shall forthwith demit and cease to hold office namely: A person shall be disqualified from being an Office Bearer if he or she”
(a) Is not a citizen of India;
(b) Has attained the age of 70 years;
(c) Is declared to be insolvent, or of unsound mind;
(d)Is a Minister or government servant;
(e) Holds any office or post in a sports or athletic association or federation apart from cricket;
(f) Has been an Office Bearer of the BCCI or a State Association for a cumulative period of 9 years;
(g) Has been charged by a Court of Law for having committed any criminal offence.”

In an email to the BCCI chief executive Rahul Johri at 2.08 pm IST on Friday, Sankaranarayanan wrote: “It is clarified that Mr. Amitabh Chaudhary stands disqualified and is no longer the joint secretary of the BCCI or an office bearer of the BCCI or a State Association by virtue of the orders of the Supreme Court dated 2.1.2017 and 3.1.2017.”As a result, he has no authority to interfere with the BCCI and its functioning or with the directions of this Committee. Please proceed with the Selection Committee Meeting as scheduled.”The Lodha Committee’s email was in response to a query from Johri at 1.33pm on Friday, after Choudhury requested that the selection meeting be delayed. “We have received differing legal advice insofar as whether a person who has completed nine years as an office bearer of a State Association would be disqualified from being an office bearer of the BCCI in terms of the order dated 2nd January 2017 read with the order dated 3rd January 2017 and have been advised to seek a clarification from the Hon’ble Supreme Court,” Johri wrote.”Although Mr. Amitabh Choudhary has completed nine years as an office bearer of a State Association, he has not completed nine years as an office bearer of BCCI. In view of the above, please advise as to whether Mr. Amitabh Choudhury stands disqualified in terms of the order dated 2nd January 2017 read with the order dated 3rd January 2017 and whether we should go ahead with the selection committee meeting as per your earlier emails or act on the instructions of Mr. Amitabh Choudhury.”On January 2, the Supreme Court had passed an order removing the BCCI president Anurag Thakur and secretary Shirke from office, and also directed that all other office bearers of the BCCI and state associations who did not meet the eligibility criteria laid down by the Lodha Committee Committee should step down.On January 3, however, the Supreme Court modified one of the sub-clauses in its January 2 order concerning the eligibility of an office-bearer. Originally the order had said: “A person shall be disqualified from being an Office Bearer if he or she has been an Office Bearer of the BCCI for a cumulative period of 9 years.” But on Tuesday, the court modified that to: “Has been an Office Bearer of the BCCI or a State Association for a cumulative period of 9 years.”According to the Lodha Committee’s interpretation of the modification, if a person had finished nine years as an office-bearer, whether at BCCI or state level or both combined, that person was ineligible to remain as office-bearer at BCCI or state level effective immediately. Choudhury was deemed ineligible according to this condition. It is understood the Lodha Committee consulted legal counsel involved in the case, including the BCCI lawyer, before arriving at its interpretation.Choudhary explained his request to delay the meeting by citing the court’s order of January 2, under which, he said, that the honorary joint secretary would discharge the duties of the BCCI secretary in the latter’s absence. Over the issue of eligibility related to the nine-year cap on tenure, Choudhury referred to an FAQ bulletin released by the Lodha Committee in September last year and said a legal query would be raised on the matter.”The other earlier recommendations are also very clear. Yes, the ceiling of nine years is the law now but that ceiling applies to state associations as well as the BCCI,” Choudhary said. “Interestingly, in a FAQ bulletin released in September, by the Hon Lodha Committee, I think point number eight clarifies the point that the ceiling of nine years for the state associations and the ceiling of nine years for the BCCI are not congruent. They run differently. So in view of these, I see no reason for confusion.”The validity of the team largely depends on the selectors and considering the fact that the five selectors were present, including the chairman, the process to that extent is perfect. And this is not a personal matter for me to raise this question. There will be a legal query raised about this but the team staff and players will not be affected by this.”

ScorecardRahat Ali finished with three wickets•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

The Pakistan fast bowlers completed the demolition job they had begun on the first night, dismissing Cricket Australia XI for 114, but their batsmen stumbled once again against the pink ball under lights in Cairns. The visitors ended the day on 5 for 124 in their second innings, ahead by 218 runs.CA XI had begun the second day on 4 for 3, and had little respite from a three-pronged pace attack. Mohammad Amir did not add to the three wickets he took on the first day, but Rahat Ali picked up two more to finish with three as well, as did Wahab Riaz who razed the lower order. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz bowled only five overs and did not take a wicket. CA XI were shot out in 39.1 overs, having conceded a first-innings lead of 94.In their last competitive innings before the day-night Test against Australia in Brisbane from December 15, Pakistan lost Sami Aslam and Babar Azam cheaply once again. They were out for 12 and 22, falling to fast bowler Mark Steketee. Opener Azhar Ali held one end up with an unbeaten 44 off 153 balls, but Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq made fleeting visits to the crease.Azhar added 45 for the fifth wicket with Shafiq, who was dismissed late in the day.Wahab said at the end of the day that he deemed this pitch was on the slower side. “It’s summer here, which is why I feel the wicket is on the slower side. I had to see how the pitch was behaving [at the start of my spell]. It wasn’t doing much and was on the slower side. There wasn’t much bounce and carry, but I managed to do what I do and bowl fast. But the ball travels well under lights. There’s swing and seam and carry through to the keeper.”He played down questions about Pakistan’s scoring rate by saying that it was a welcome sign that the batsmen were spending time in the middle.”It’s good that the batsmen are taking their time. This is what we’ve lacked in the last two-three Tests. Our batsmen have not been staying in for a long time. They’re getting starts but no one has been converting them to big scores. So I think it’s good that they’re taking time and have confidence before going into the Test series. Run rate doesn’t matter as much as the confidence they’re getting.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSri Lanka were clinical in the field to bowl Zimbabwe out for 160•Getty Images

Sri Lanka followed a clinical display in the field with steady middle-order batting to chase down 161 with 75 balls to spare and complete a convincing six-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the tri-series final. Kusal Mendis starred with the bat, hitting ten fours in his sparkling 57, to lead Sri Lanka’s robust recovery after they had slipped to 42 for 3.Mendis was supported by Upul Tharanga in a 75-run fourth-wicket partnership that put the visitors firmly on course for the win. While Tharanga was decidedly scratchy early on, and survived a couple of chances, he took over the mantle after Mendis departed. He wrapped up proceedings by clubbing a four and a six to finish on 57 not out and, more importantly, put the finishing touches on Sri Lanka’s successful campaign in his first series as captain.Zimbabwe’s slump to 160 after opting to bat on a decent Bulawayo track was largely a product of their own failings. Poor shot selection left them chasing the game from an early stage. But the dubious choices began even before a ball was bowled, with the omission of their regular openers in the series, Chamu Chibhabha and Brian Chari.That forced Hamilton Masakadza and Peter Moor to fill the opening slots. Moor, in particular, looked uncomfortable with the promotion, and it was not long before he scooped an innocuous straight delivery from Suranga Lakmal to gift an easy catch to midwicket. Masakadza followed him back soon thereafter when he was trapped in front by a Nuwan Kulasekara in-dipper.Rain interrupted play with Zimbabwe on 20 for 2 in 5.1 overs, but their real troubles began almost an hour after the resumption. A promising third-wicket partnership of 53 between debutant Tarisai Musakanda and Craig Ervine ended when Ervine closed his bat face early to give the simplest of return catches to legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay. Musakanda was busy and energetic during his 36 off 37, but he perished to the same bowler, reaching for a ball that was leaving him to nick to first slip. Then Sikandar Raza missed an attempted sweep by a big margin and Zimbabwe were 89 for 5.They were not yet done shooting themselves in the foot, though. Malcolm Waller and Sean Williams both threw away decent starts with ugly, cross-batted slogs that went high in the air. The tail did not offer much resistance and Zimbabwe were bowled out in 36.3 overs on a pitch that had not offered anything out of the ordinary to the bowlers.That said, Sri Lanka turned out a professional performance with the ball and in the field. Kulasekara and Lakmal bowled with discipline with the new ball to tie down the batsmen from the outset. Vandersay, brought in to replace Nuwan Pradeep, then extracted decent turn and exposed the home team’s weakness against spin. Along with left-arm spinner Sachith Pathirana, he pegged Zimbabwe back in the middle overs. The two spinners took 5 for 76 in 17 overs between them, helped by a screamer of a catch by Mendis at short cover to get rid of Graeme Cremer. Asela Gunaratne then cleaned up the tail, finishing with 3 for 10.When the sides came back out to begin the second innings before the lunch interval, Brian Vitori effected a wobble with three early wickets. He pinned Dhananjaya de Silva lbw for a golden duck and snuck one between Niroshan Dickwella’s bat and pad to splay his stumps. Then, Kusal Perera slogged him only as far as Waller at mid-on, leaving Sri Lanka on 42 for 3.But Mendis and Tharanga steadied the chase after the break, despite the latter’s early struggles. Tharanga found it difficult to rotate the strike against spin and was reprieved on 18 when Masakadza spilled a tough chance at short midwicket. He survived through it all, though, while Mendis unfurled a number of glorious cover drives at the other end. By the time Mendis holed out to Williams at deep square leg, Sri Lanka were on course for a thumping win, and it was Tharanga who took them past the finish line in style.

The Supreme Court of India has reserved its order regarding the Lodha Committee’s status report, which had recommended that the BCCI office bearers be “superseded” and a panel of administrators be appointed to implement the court-approved recommendations.The hearing began at 2pm and lasted two hours, after which the judges informed the parties that they were reserving the order, pending further deliberation. It could be passed any time in the coming week.On Monday the court heard from amicus curiae Gopal Subramanium that the BCCI’s “consistent attitude of defiance” warranted the appointment of a panel of administrators. The board’s counsel Kapil Sibal, however, asked for more time to “persuade” the state units to accept the recommendations, but also suggested that in certain cases the Lodha Committee was going beyond the original judgement.The court observed that replacing the BCCI’s office bearers would be an “extreme measure” but did not rule it out, and also asked Subramanium for other methods that could be used. Subramanium asked for all funding to be stopped to states that refused to comply, that office bearers disqualified under the Lodha Committee’s recommendations be removed immediately, and that future BCCI contracts go through the Lodha Committee. The next major contract is for the IPL broadcast rights.When the court asked if Subramanium meant the BCCI could do whatever it wanted “through the approval of the Committee until such time that the reforms are implemented”, the amicus curiae offered no objection. Another option discussed was to “appoint a committee or an officer” who reports to the Lodha Committee.The BCCI’s counsel continued to argue that constitutional changes could only be made to the board through a two-thirds majority of its members. “We have not defied any judgement,” Sibal said in response to the court. “We are just finding some of the recommendations difficult to implement.”The BCCI president Anurag Thakur said that the board needed more time. “You need 3/4th majority to adopt these recommendations. We have done our duty to go back to the state associations and they have to take a call on that. If you don’t have 3/4th majority, you cannot adopt these recommendations,” he said after the hearing. “Right now there is more confusion in the state associations on how to implement the recommendations, I think we need more clarity.”The board had cited the unwillingness of its state associations as the primary reason for not accepting the Lodha Committee’s recommendations in totality. The contentious recommendations were the one-state-one-vote policy, the nine-year cap on administrative careers, the cooling-off period, and a 70-year age cap.The court asked the BCCI’s counsel if he could give an undertaking of what recommendations had been implemented, and what the BCCI planned to implement and by when. Sibal responded affirmatively and said he would also list “the ones that they cannot implement and what problems we are facing in their implementation”.The court asked why the BCCI had not done so when the Lodha Committee had provided it various opportunities to argue its case. Sibal argued that the Lodha Committee had begun to pass directions that were not part of the original judgement. According to him the committee had said that those BCCI officials who were disqualified on the basis of time served could not represent the board at the ICC either. This could not be independently verified.Subramanium had pointed out the inconsistencies in the affidavits provided by Thakur and the BCCI’s general manager games and development Ratnakar Shetty. The affidavits were in regard to whether Thakur had asked the ICC for a letter stating that the court order was tantamount to government interference in the BCCI and provided grounds for disqualification from the ICC.”I have never seen anyone or any organisation so stoically, disdainfully blocking a Supreme Court judgement being carried out,” Subramanium said. “The court should consider using the powers it has now to take this matter to its logical conclusion.”Subramnium said that during its last hearing the court had given the BCCI and its state association ten days to fall in line. “Everybody wants to give the board a fair opportunity,” he said. “The fact is that BCCI has not produced a single affidavit of compliance. Less said about their interviews in the media the better.”

Sanjeev Chawla, one of the accused in the 2000 match-fixing scandal, was arrested in London in June following an extradition request from India, the has reported. Chawla’s case will be heard in London on October 3, even as the UK’s Crown Protection Services (CPS) has written to Delhi Police asking for details about the security arrangements and facilities in the prison in which Chawla will be kept.”The arrest was made following the Indian government’s extradition request. He faces charges of fixing cricket matches between India and South Africa in 2000,” Yasser Mehmood, press officer of the CPS, told the . “Chawla’s case will be heard at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on October 3.”Chawla, along with former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje, was named in Delhi Police’s chargesheet filed in July 2013 for fixing matches between February and March 2000. The scandal came to light in April 2000 after Delhi Police got hold of a taped conversation between Cronje and Chawla in a conspiracy related to “match-fixing and betting” during South Africa’s tour of India in 2000.Cronje, who died in a plane crash in June 2002, later admitted that he had received 6000 pounds from Chawla for providing personal favours in a Test against England in Centurion in January 2000, in which he forfeited South Africa’s second innings in a rain-affected match. Chawla was also named in the King commission’s report that had investigated Cronje’s activities.In January 2001, Chawla was arrested by Scotland Yard in North London in connection with alleged match-fixing, and was also accused of offering money to two England players to underperform in a Test match against New Zealand at Old Trafford in 1999. In June that year, he was released as there was “insufficient evidence” to prove the charges against him.The other bookmakers and gamblers listed in the Delhi Police’s 2013 chargesheet were Rajesh Kalra, Krishan Kumar, Sunil Dara and Manmohan Khattar.

Pakistan have recalled fast bowler Umar Gul to their ODI squad. The 32-year-old last played 50-over cricket for his country in April 2015. Gul is one of four fast bowlers – including the uncapped Hasan Ali – chosen to play against England and Ireland from August 18.Legspinner Yasir Shah has also made a return to limited-overs cricket for the first time since November 2015. He had been suspended for a doping offence and was unavailable for selection when Pakistan had toured New Zealand in January 2016. Seven out of the 16 men from that squad have been sidelined.

Changes to Pakistan’s ODI squad

In: Sami Aslam, Sharjeel Khan, Umar Gul, Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Nawaz
Out: Ahmed Shehzad, Anwar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali, Sohaib Maqsood, Zafar Gohar

Fast bowler Mohammad Irfan was one of those to be left out. In the past, Pakistan have handled him with great care, mindful of his injury-prone nature. His pace and bounce have been seen as assets, but with only 12 wickets in nine ODIs over the past 12 months, he has been overlooked by the new selection panel led by Inzamam-ul-Haq.Others who haven’t made the cut include Ahmed Shehzad, Sohaib Maqsood and Anwar Ali. While Shehzad has fallen out of favour due to issues with indiscipline and inconsistency, Maqsood and Anwar have struggled with their recent form. Maqsood has not done much since starting his career with back-to-back fifties, while Anwar has gone wicketless in four of his last six matches.Sami Aslam, who made two high-quality half-centuries in the Edgbaston Test against England, was drafted in, as was Mohammad Nawaz, who made his Pakistan debut in the Asia Cup in February. Nawaz is yet to take an international wicket, but had a productive time in the Pakistan Super League where he finished with 13 wickets at an average of 18. He was also part of the A team tour to England this July.Meanwhile Hasan, a 22-year-old right-arm seamer, is the only squad member without any experience in international cricket. He made his List A debut in 2013 and has taken 40 wickets in 21 matches at an average of 22.87. Like Nawaz, he has recent experience of English conditions thanks to his inclusion in Pakistan’s A team tour last month.”While picking the squad, the team management and skipper were consulted and all concerned gave their consent in this regard,” chief selector Inzamam said in a statement issued by PCB. “The team has been selected keeping in mind the conditions and the recent performances of some players in domestic and A Team tours. The team is a fine blend of experience and youth and the selectors believe that this team will do well.”Gul’s return to the Pakistan team has come two months after he had accused the selectors of “double standards”. Though he has had problems with fitness, missing large chunks of cricket in 2013 and 2014 due to a knee injury, he said he had been overlooked for the 2015 World Cup despite meeting the minimum fitness requirements. After he was left out of the Test squad for England and even the national camps in Abbottabad and Lahore, Gul said he felt the selectors had lost faith in him.Pakistan’s ODI squad: Azhar Ali (capt), Sharjeel Khan, Sami Aslam, Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Nawaz

Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) players Hayley Jensen and Corinne Hall have been banned for six months each for betting on matches as Cricket Australia continues its crackdown on any betting involvement from contracted players.Jensen and Hall both voluntarily accepted identical sanctions imposed by Cricket Australia – a two-year ban of which 18 months was suspended – after admitting the charges of betting on men’s international games. South Australia Futures League player Joel Logan also received a suspended ban after he also breached Cricket Australia’s Anti-Corruption Code.Jensen, who has played international cricket for New Zealand and represented Victoria and Melbourne Stars in the 2015-16 Australian domestic season, admitted the charge of placing one bet on the result of the Brisbane Test between Australia and New Zealand in November.Hall, who played for Hobart Hurricanes in the WBBL, admitted the charge of placing two bets relating to two matches in the Matador Cup competition last summer.Logan admitted the charge of placing two bets relating to the World T20 earlier this year.The punishments for Hall and Jensen prevent them from “participating in any form of cricket or cricket-related event” until October 21. Unlike Hall and Jensen, Logan was not on a full state contract and was contracted on a match-by-match basis for the Futures League, which was taken into account in determining his lesser punishment.The bans were not the first to concern Australian cricketers in the past year: ACT and Sydney Sixers legspinner Angela Reakes was handed a suspended sentence last December for betting on the 2015 World Cup final, and Western Australia’s Piepa Cleary was banned in February after betting on the Adelaide Test between Australia and New Zealand last November.Cricket Australia’s Head of Integrity, Iain Roy, said: “We take a proactive, zero-tolerance approach to maintaining the integrity of our sport and this includes any form of betting on cricket globally.”Players in Australia are required to complete an anti-corruption education session before they can compete in any competition, including all players in our Underage National Championships. We continually remind players that betting on any form of cricket is strictly prohibited, and this is written into our Anti-Corruption Code.”These players have accepted the seriousness of their errors and have voluntarily accepted their sanctions. This serves as a timely reminder to all players in cricket that the integrity of our game is a high priority and we won’t accept this being compromised.”

With the PCB looking to raise funds in the absence of international cricket in the country and the deadlock with the BCCI in terms of bilateral series, chairman Shaharyar Khan has suggested that the Pakistan board should receive a ‘higher percentage of the income’ from matches against India at ICC events. According to a paper circulated among the PCB’s directors – accessed by ESPNcricinfo – Khan presented the suggestion while making a strong case for a support system for the board at the recent ICC annual conference in Edinburgh.He also made Pakistan-specific points during the meeting, including a request that the ICC compensate Pakistan for having to arrange home fixtures outside the country.”Pakistan continues to play India in ICC events. The interest and finances that these generate are unparalleled. Tickets for the World Cup matches in Adelaide and Calcutta sold out quicker than other major sporting events – Wimbledon, the Olympics being two examples,” the paper stated. “The financial income in ICC championships benefits enormously from India – Pakistan clashes. Currently, all members benefit from the windfall from these matches. [The] Chairman proposed that Pakistan should be given a higher percentage of this income.”Barring Zimbabwe’s limited-overs tour in May 2015, Pakistan has not hosted an international game since the attack on Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in 2009. The UAE has subsequently become their new base. However, the paper says, the extra cost that the PCB has borne to host its cricket in the UAE has placed a huge financial burden on Pakistan cricket and is directly hampering the development of the game in the country.During the isolation, the development phase was put on hold in Pakistan and regional academies were gradually closed due to lack of funds. The project has been revived partially under Mudassar Nazar, who was recently appointed director of Pakistan’s national cricket academy.The lack of bilateral series, however, has been a major concern for the PCB at every level, including Under-19s, A team tours and the women’s team. Pakistani teams can tour foreign countries but the cost of hosting matches in the UAE makes it difficult for the PCB to organise reciprocal home series. The report also reflected on how the isolation has upset Pakistan’s capacities in other areas, as curators and umpires are unwilling to come to the country.”Pakistan is the only country that plays its home matches in a third country,” the paper said. “This has placed a huge financial burden on Pakistan cricket. This includes having to play host in one of the most expensive destinations in the world. Dubai, for example, was recently ranked as the most expensive holiday destination. To host two teams – Pakistan and the opposition, scorers, umpires, other officials – in the UAE is prohibitively expensive. In addition, the hiring of grounds is a further drain. Little is recouped through gate receipts. Therefore, every time we play at home it is a further drain on resources.”Pakistan is also suffering cricket-wise. Many of the national teams have never played a match at home against international teams. These cricketers have been denied the opportunity to benefit from home crowds. At the same time the cricketing public is starved of cricket at home – when Zimbabwe toured all five matches [two T20Is, three ODIs] were sold out in minutes.”The political situation between India and Pakistan has also had an impact. The BCCI had signed a Memorandum of Understanding to play six series with Pakistan between 2015 and 2023, with the first to be hosted by the PCB in the UAE in December. As has often happened in the past, the strained political relationship put the series in doubt. The last full series between the countries, including Tests and ODIs, was in 2007 when Pakistan toured India. Since then Pakistan have played only one limited-overs series in India, in December 2012, and the teams have mostly met in multi-team competitions and ICC events. India’s refusal to play has cost the PCB over $80 million in terms of broadcasting and other commercial deals.”This needs to be further put in perspective when we remember that India has refused to play Pakistan since 2006,” the paper stated. “Therefore, the principal source of income has been cut off for a decade. Pakistan, in the meantime, has twice been to India since 2006 without reciprocation and the 2014 MoU has not been fulfilled as the Indian government has yet to lift the embargo on cricketing relations.”