PCB’s next 5 years media rights auction or loot sale..?

PCB’s next 5 years media rights auction or loot sale..?

– Is it another future NAB case???
– Does the gap of over Rs.30 billion or $300 million comes under the economic plunder and who are the beneficiaries of the huge earnings gap of the PCB???
– Where is the big 4 status for Pakistan in pure terms of the economic gains?
– Why (as per media reports) the PCB’s revenue share of the World Cup 2015 income of the ICC, will be even less than the the share received by the PCB, from the ICC’s World Cup 2011?

Pak will get the status of big 4 (as per link given below) and revenues of $450 million says Najam Sethi ..!

But now according to the reports, the PCB on 27 March 2015, auctioned its media rights for the next 5 years (including the 4 proposed Indian team’s visits for the home series to be played in Pakistan or outside Pak soil) for less than $150million (as per AB TAK TV channel report the bid amount for the auction was just a peanut of $125 million, with further deductions of production costs and UDRS expenses which may be over $10-15 millions, reducing the net earnings to a meagre amount of around $110-115 million), compared with the PCB’s 2008-2013 five years media rights auction amount of $144 million.

– Link of Mr. Najam Sethi’s claim that Pakistan has got the big 4 status of the ICC and will get $450 million earnings :- http://tribune.com.pk/story/729174/big-four-pakistan-to-earn-450-million-in-cricket-cycle/

Big Four: Pakistan ‘to earn $450 million in cricket cycle’

By AFP Published: June 30, 2014

Lahore. Pakistan Cricket Board chief Najam Sethi claimed on Monday that his country will earn $450 million from the next eight-year cycle, mainly from four series with arch-rivals India.

India and Pakistan signed an agreement to play six series, four of which Pakistan will host in the next eight years, on the sidelines of an International Cricket Council (ICC) annual conference in Melbourne last week.

The windfall for Pakistan was made possible after they conditionally agreed to approve an ICC revamp that gives major powers to cricket’s “Big Three”, India, Australia and England.

The shake-up, which Pakistan initially opposed, was formally endorsed at the meeting in Melbourne.

“We would have been left isolated and gone bankrupt in two years had we not approved the revamp,” Sethi told media on return from Australia.

“We get the most revenues when we play with India and if all goes well we are set to earn $300 million from the four series we host against India,” he said.

Sethi said Pakistan gained significantly during the ICC meeting.

“Pakistan have been included in the executive committee of the ICC for one year, with India, Australia and England as the permanent members, which means we will be at the forefront of most of the decisions,” said Sethi.

That, Sethi claimed, will get Pakistan the most funds after the Big Three.

“We will get revenues on fourth number, and I can say with confidence that in the next eight year cycle we will get $150 million dollars from the ICC,” he said, bringing the total takings to $450 million.

This compares to Pakistan receiving $10 million from the ICC per year in the last seven-year cycle, Sethi added.

The first of the series with India is scheduled for December next year, likely to be played in United Arab Emirates.

“The agreement is now on paper and I hope that the day will also come when PMs of both the countries clear it, then the two countries will also play in Pakistan. But at the moment it is not possible,” Sethi added.

International cricket in Pakistan has been suspended since March 2009 when militants attacked the Sri Lankan team bus, leaving eight people dead and seven visiting players injured.

But Sethi said there would be no compensation if India does not play due to non-clearance from New Delhi.

“There was no compensation before, there is none now. This is not the norm in mutual series when government does not give permission.”

Mohammad Aamer’s return

Sethi also said banned paceman Mohammad Aamer will be able to play domestic cricket before his worldwide ban expires in August next year.

“The ICC committee will finalise changes in the anti-corruption code in October this year after which the PCB will submit an application on relaxing the ban on Aamer and in the last year of his ban Aamer will be able to play domestic cricket to get ready for the international matches,” said Sethi.

Aamer was banned for five years on charges of spot-fixing during the Lord’s Test against England in 2010. Then-Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were also banned for a minimum of five years in the same case.

– Link of claim of Mr. Najam Sethi that Pakistan set to earn Rs.
30 billion from India series: Sethi
MOHAMMAD YAQOOB — PUBLISHED JUL 01, 2014 05:36AM
Link:- http://www.dawn.com/news/1116131

Pakistan set to earn Rs30 billion from India series: Sethi
MOHAMMAD YAQOOB — PUBLISHED JUL 01, 2014 05:36AM

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi on Monday said he was part of the majority which elected the suspended BCCI president N. Srinivasan as chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) at its annual gathering in Melbourne, Australia last week.

Addressing a crowded press conference here after his arrival from Melbourne, Sethi had a lot of good things to say about the tremendous gains and achievements made by Pakistan during the ICC meeting.

However, he was sufficiently grilled over the thorny issue of Pakistan supporting the tainted Indian official Srinivasan as new ICC chairman.

When asked how he saw the future of cricket with a controversial person like Srinivasan now elected as head of the world governing body, Sethi initially appeared a bit reluctant to offer any comment and simply replied: “I can’t say about Srinivasan’s election.”

‘We went with majority to elect Srinivasan as ICC chief’
However, when asked if he raised this point of Indian Supreme Court probing Srinivasan before electing him in Melbourne, Sethi said: “We were part of those who agreed on it (to elect Srinivasan). We elected him and we were part of the majority and it (India court case) would not create any problem whatsoever because Srinivasan has been elected for two years.”

Highlighting his achievements at the ICC meetings, the PCB chairman claimed Pakistan will receive a bumper amount estimated at $300 million (Rs30 billion) from the six Pakistan-India series which will be played in the next eight years, with Pakistan hosting four of them.

“We are estimating to earn Rs30 billion by hosting India in four series and that is the biggest news for Pakistan cricket,” he said.

The PCB chairman disclosed that while India were not willing to consider Pakistan as a possible venue for any of the series, he managed to pull it off by getting a certain term included in the agreement which says either Dubai or any other venue could be selected to host those series with mutual understanding.

However, Sethi admitted that as in the past, the governments of either side will have the final say in holding the series.

He added that a joint statement released from the BCCI and the PCB about the future series was a remarkable achievement by all counts and the decision had now been included in the ICC records as well.

Sethi, obviously delighted at the breakthrough, said the Indo-Pak series was a bigger event than the Ashes (Australia-England series) and the world also recognised that fact.

“The Indo-Pak series have great potential to attract spectators and the sponsors,” he said.

Elaborating further on the bilateral series, Sethi said Pakistan had signed the agreement to hold the series with India some six months back but the instability in the PCB threw a spanner in the whole affair.

“There was a possibility to hold the first series in the current year with India, but the instability (the Zaka Ashraf-Sethi tug of war) and Zaka’s stance on the Big Three issue delayed things.”

Sethi confirmed that Pakistan has been included as the fourth member of the newly-formed Exe­cutive Committee of the ICC for one year.

“Pakistan will be a key part of decision making at the ICC while the next president of the ICC in 2015 will be elected from Pakistan,” Sethi said proudly. “So, in the next two years Pakistan would be able to play an effective role at the ICC level.”

However, he clarified there was no Big Four status for Pakistan but the PCB would have a larger share in the ICC revenues.

“In the last seven years, the PCB had received $70 million from the ICC,” recalled Sethi. “But in the next eight years, it would get almost double, upto $150 million.”

In fact, the revenue will be increased for all four top members including India, Australia, England and Pakistan at the cost of cutting the share of smaller nations like Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and a few others who, it appears, will end up as losers in their support for the Big Three formula.

Regarding the progress made on the front of banned young fast bowler fast bowler Mohammad Amir, Sethi said new rules were being finalised to give the bowler some concessions to his ban imposed on him in a spot fixing case.

He said the PCB had written a letter to the Supreme Court to give a final decision in its case against Zaka Ashraf as soon as possible because the PCB wants to attain stability as it had to take many important decisions to make in the coming days including awarding of the media rights for two ‘home’ series against Australia and New Zealand.

In the end, Sethi mentioned how several people at the ICC meeting discussed with him the negative role played by the Pakistani media against its players and PCB which was proving harmful to Pakistan cricket at international level.

Published in Dawn, July 1st , 2014

Email dated 26 February, 2015 addressed to the PM Pakistan:

Subject: Very urgent message for the PM – Big Four: Pakistan ‘to earn $450 million in cricket cycle’ A news item by the daily “The Express Tribune” of 30 June, 2014

Respected Mian Nawaz Sharif Sahab,

AoA.

Sir,

The subject mentioned news item is being submitted for your kind perusal because PCB is going to auction its media rights (for the next five years) tomorrow on 27 January, 2015 and it is in Pakistan’s interest to ensure that nothing less than $450 million is earned by the PCB from the auction of this rights for the next five years.

Moreover, it is very strange that although it is a marketing department’s domain but the Director Marketing PCB is NOT included in the bidding committee which includes Mr. Najam Sethi about whom conflict of interest is reported.

Sir, in view of the seriousness of the matter and as per 100% transparency policy of your government it is suggested that a member from the following organisations should also attend this bidding process as observers:

– NAB
– FIA
– Public Procurement Regulatory Authority
– Office of the Auditor General of Pakistan
– Transparency International Pakistan

– Mr. Khalid Mahmood Ex. Chairman PCB

In this regard, if it is necessary the bidding process may be delayed for a few days to ensure that the representatives of the above mentioned departments can attend the bidding meetings in due course of time.

Best regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

Sent from my iPad3 4G LTE

Link :- http://tribune.com.pk/story/729174/big-four-pakistan-to-earn-450-million-in-cricket-cycle/

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