“Will hand over blank cheque”: Investors tell PCB chairman if Pakistan beats India

Newly-appointed chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja has asserted that the country needs a flourishing cricket economy and said that the time has come for the PCB to become self-sufficient and not rely on the International Cricket Council (ICC) for funding.  Raja made the remarks during a meeting with the Senate Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC).

“PCB runs 50 per cent on the funding of ICC. 90 per cent of funding to ICC comes from India. I’m afraid that if India stopped funding ICC, then PCB might collapse because PCB gives zero per cent funding to ICC. I’m determined to make Pakistan cricket strong,” said Raja.

“One strong investor told me that a blank cheque is ready for the PCB if Pakistan beats India in the upcoming T20 World Cup,” he added.

Raja said that teams would think twice before refusing to tour Pakistan if the PCB has a strong financial backing.

“If our cricket economy is strong, we won’t be used and then binned by teams like England and New Zealand,” he said, adding, “Best cricket team and best cricket economy are two big challenges.”

Raja also said that the PCB has increased the salaries of domestic cricketers. “We have increased salaries of domestic cricketers by hundred thousand rupees as we want to ensure that they earn atleast four million rupees every year. PCB is also looking for sponsors in this regard,” he concluded.