Pakistan Super League is postponded,PCB

"We need more time for investors",Zaka Ashraf

The Pakistan Super League, the country's franchise-based Twenty20 tournament, has been indefinitely postponed for the organisers to sort out logistical issues. The PSL, which is run by the Pakistan board, was supposed to be held between March 26 and April 7 in Pakistan but a PCB statement said the delay was to give investors more time to submit bids and also to avoid scheduling conflicts with other cricket tournaments.

The decision was taken on Friday after PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf met the Pakistan interior minister Rehman Malik in Islamabad. The postponement wasn't revealed in the press conference that followed the meeting but in a detailed press release that was subsequently issued. The PCB has formed a committee to look for a slot more feasible to the investors to reschedule the tournament.

"The decision to move away from the planned dates of the PSL is an extremely difficult one but for the benefit of all stakeholders and the league," PSL managing director Salman Sarwar Butt said. "The PCB management has decided to reschedule the event and move it to a period where there are fewer scheduling conflicts, and the stakeholders get enough time to develop their business plans."

The PSL business model - unveiled on January 10 - was expected to fetch the PCB "in excess of $100 million over the years." It was to feature five teams and 23 matches, to be played at a single, as yet undisclosed, venue. The PCB had also announced the base prices of players at a proposed auction though they didn't reveal the pool of players who had signed up for the tournament. The board also invited bids for the broadcasters and had been confident of lining up investors for the franchises within a month.

"Over 15 potential franchise buyers, around 10 top broadcasters and various potential sponsors from large business houses have collected the bid documents and shown extremely keen interest in acquiring respective rights," Butt said. "However, there are several other investors who would like us to give them more time for our various rights."

Launching the PSL wasn't a straightforward business for the PCB as no international cricket has been played in Pakistan since a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus during a Test in Lahore in 2009, and the country is still struggling with its law and order situation. The PCB itself has been hosting home series away from home, mostly in the United Arab Emirates, and no country is ready to provide No Objection Certificates (NOC) to its players for featuring in the PSL.

The Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) had also raised concerns over the security situation in Pakistan and warned players against taking part in the PSL, calling it an unmanageable risk. The original schedule would have also clashed with the pre-poll campaigns ahead of general elections expected to be held in May.

 The PCB decided to keep it in the country, in line with the league's stated objective of "improving the image of the country and revival of international cricket".

"There is no way we are backing down from our major objective," Ashraf said. "We are extremely encouraged by various stakeholders including the broadcasters and financiers from across the world and looking at the response it gives us a lot of confidence that our league is a success. We envisage that as suggested, the shift in our timelines will drive more interested stakeholders towards PSL and make this one of the most sought after league in the cricketing world."

Bangladesh Cricket Board wills to Pakistan tour

Bangladesh could tour of Pakistan next year:

The Bangladesh Cricket Board is in talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board about a short tour to the country next month. BCB president Nazmul Hassan said that the talks are now all about a suitable timeframe for the tour.

"We can't go in December so we will speak to the PCB today, about whether we can fit in a small tour before the BPL," Hassan told ESPNcricinfo.

Bangladesh's proposed tour to Pakistan hit a snag earlier this year when, on April 19, a Dhaka court order embargoed a series between the two scheduled for the end of April.

In November, Hassan said that the BCB had made a "written commitment" to the PCB to go ahead with the tour.

On Friday Hassan explained that they are now in the second phase of talks with the PCB because the first phase, which dealt with security issues, was satisfactory. "I have spoken to those who went for the security assessment and they are quite satisfied," he said. "If we can agree on a time, we will go next month."

He also said that the players and the support staff will be spoken to about the tour, but no one will be forced to go on the tour. "The last time when we discussed [touring Pakistan], we wanted to talk to the players and find out their opinion. We will also speak to foreign staff but it is highly likely that they won't go. That we can understand. We don't want to force them."

Back in March, the ICC had introduced a "special dispensation" to be made only in "exceptional circumstances" that allowed bilateral series to take place even if the ruling body determined it "unsafe" to appoint its officials for these series. This would allow such series to be manned by "non-neutral match officials", a departure from the ICC's Standard Playing Conditions.

Hassan said the dispensation will take effect if the ICC doesn't send its officials to conduct the matches. "They [ICC] are quite clear about it. They want us to decide if we want to go or not. We will submit a security plan to them, after which they will decide whether they will send their match officials or not. If they don't, we will have to appoint match officials."

Two matches of President's Trophy moved to Punjab

Faisalabad's Iqbal Stadium will not host the match between State Bank of Pakistan and SNGPL:

Two matches of the last round of the President's Trophy have been shifted out of Punjab, to Islamabad and Mirpur, following differences between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Punjab Government.

"There is no clash between the PCB and the Punjab Government," a PCB spokesman told ESPNcricinfo. "We are a sports body and want the games to go on and to avoid any further disruption we have decided to move our matches from the Punjab province to other parts of the country."

To avoid further disruptions, the President's Trophy matches have been moved to the National Stadium in Islamabad and Quaid-e-Azam stadium in Mirpur. "In the meantime, we are in negotiations with the Government to sort out any the issues they think need to be sorted," the spokesman said. "We want the smooth functioning of our tournament and apart from the President's Trophy matches the Under-19 match (Peshawar v Sialkot) has also been relocated to Peshawar."

The PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf said the board can't afford any disruptions at the moment. "We understand that the grounds are the property of the Punjab Government and it's up to them if they will let us play but they should show good spirit and work with a big heart," Ashraf told reporters in Lahore. "But if they carry on with such a condescending attitude we are left with no other choice but to take the matches away from the province."

Sindh High Court asks to change PCB's constitution

The post of the PCB director general, created in 2008 by the then chairman Ijaz Butt, may cease to exist:

The Sindh High Court has issued a notice to the PCB to change its constitution, after accepting former Pakistan wicketkeeper Rashid Latif's petition that sought a 'fair and transparent' functioning of the board.

The petition demands the scrapping of two posts in the PCB, those of the director general and the security advisor, and seeks a new constitution in line with the ICC directives. "The powers assigned to the patron of PCB, who is the president of Pakistan, are in complete disregard and violation of the Constitution, as they smack of a non-transparent and discriminatory approach of the board," the petition said.

PCB allow the Pakistani Players for BBL this season

Saeed Ajmal and Umer Akmal will miss the last round of national domestic cricket:

Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan allrounder, has said he will not play for Sydney Thunder despite being given permission by the PCB to take part in Australia's Big Bash League. Afridi said he wanted to play in Pakistan's domestic Twenty20 tournament instead and that clashes with Australia's Twenty20 competition.

"I have ended my contract in the Big Bash League, because I want to play in the national event to improve my form and justify my selection in the team," Afridi told AFP.

The Pakistan board had earlier granted Saeed Ajmal, Umar Akmal and Afridi permission to play a few games at this season's Big Bash, on the request of Cricket Australia. Ajmal and Akmal will miss the last round of Pakistan's domestic Twenty20 tournament and will return in time for the conditioning camp in Lahore ahead of the India tour.

"We have reconsidered our decision, on the request of Cricket Australia, as the players had already signed their contract,"PCB. "They will now leave at the tail end of [Pakistan's] T20 tournament, which runs from December 2 to 10, and will return when our conditioning camp starts."

Shahid Afridi need well performance to earn place in team

Shahid Afridi make a role in domestic T20 to pick for India's tour:

While Pakistan will look to select as many experienced players as possible for their limited-overs tour of India in December, Shahid Afridi will not be a sure pick, according to chief selector Iqbal Qasim.

"India tours have always been tough ones," Qasim said in Lahore. "We are wary about India being a very strong host and we want to pick a combination very carefully. Expect no sweeping changes. We need to strengthen the combination with experience but there is always room for an outstanding young talent.

"Nobody, not even Afridi, gets an automatic place in the side at the moment. Afridi is a fine player and has performed well in past, but the upcoming [domestic] Twenty20 cup is the opportunity for him to perform and we will watch him. I am optimistic about him, as he has done a lot in past and still has a lot of cricket left in him."

England's former coach expected to sent a report to PCB on pakistan's domestic structure

"I know Pakistan has produced so many talented players",Perter Moores:

The Pakistan Cricket Board has sought an independent review of its domestic cricket structure, appointing the former England coach Peter Moores in a consulting role. Moores, on a two-day visit, is expected to submit a comprehensive report to the PCB in the next 10 days.

The PCB had invited Moores to the National Cricket Academy in Lahore along with former captains Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Aamir Sohail, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Javed Miandad and Intikhab Alam to discuss ways to improve the structure and functioning of domestic cricket and the role of the national and regional cricket academies in the country. This is the second instance during the ongoing tenure of current chairman Zaka Ashraf that the PCB has sought recommendations on domestic cricket, after an earlier a task team recommended sweeping changes, which were not implemented over feasibility issues.

Moores, who coached Lancashire to the County Championship title last year, will now help prepare a plan for the PCB to implement. "I know Pakistan has produced so many talented players and I came here to see where things are at the moment and if I can help in any way to move things forward it would be great," Moores said in Lahore.

"It's really interesting to put together the views of some of the great players like Miandad and Waqar. I will see what I can add to the structure, suggesting something that will work well for everybody."

The Pakistan domestic structure has undergone changes almost every two years in the past decade, with regional and departmental teams in the mix. Though the task team did recommended changes to the structure earlier this year, the report never came up and was buried citing most of the recommendations were 'not feasible'.

Moores, 49, made comparisons with the English system. "The system doesn't look particularly different (compared to England). I need some time to find out what is going on," he said. "I can't say that I have the answer because that will obviously come from the people who work here. Every country wants a strong domestic structure in place. What I can see is the great desire to keep Pakistan cricket improving."

S Afridi,S Ajmal and U Akmal will not play BBL's this session "PCB"

PCB has denied S Afridi,S Ajmal and U Akmal's permission to play BBL:

The PCB has denied Umar Akmal, Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi permission to play this season's Big Bash League (BBL), the Australia Twenty20 league, to ensure the trio's participation in their domestic Twenty20 tournament ahead of the tour of India. Akmal had signed with Sydney Sixers and Ajmal with Adelaide Strikers for the season, while Afridi would have moved from Melbourne Renegades to Sydney Thunder.

The PCB had earlier issued the players No Objection Certificates to play in the BBL that begins on December 7. The PCB's national T20 championship is set to be played between December 2 and 10, and will be followed by a week-long conditioning camp before the team leaves for India on December 22.