PCB stand to lose $50 million if India-Pakistan series fails to happen, says Shahryar Khan

New Delhi: With the proposed India-Pakistan series unlikely to happen, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan has admitted that they will lose at least $50 million.

A report in the The Dawn yesterday quoted the PCB chairman as saying, “The prospects of organising a series now seem very bleak and we stand to lose at least $50 million under the current scenario."

After weeks of speculation and waiting game, cricket enthusiasts were expecting a favourable call from the Indian government, with Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj visiting Pakistan for the Heart of Asia regional conference.

But the talks between the representatives of two trouble nations failed to have a mention of the emotional issue. And Shaharyar Khan stated, “We were hoping for some positive development finally but it is very disappointing that cricket was not discussed in the meeting between the Indian Foreign Minister and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif."

After the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and PCB agreed a limited overs series, to be played in Sri Lanka, the Indian board is waiting for a green signal from the Narendra Modi govenrment.

And the PCB chairman had given BCCI a December 7 deadline to decide on the series hoping for a positive response.

The PCB, which has reportedly failed to generate enough revenue even to manage it's board, is expecting a financial windfall from the series. But as things stand now, the series is as good as dead, with no the Indian government keeping the issue on a back-burner.