The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has allocated a budget of Rs seven billion for organizing the Women’s League with an objective to empower women in the cricket game.
Chairman PCB Najam Sethi briefed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) on Thursday that PCB paid Rs two billion in terms of tax during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 8. “PCB’s next goal is to revive the women cricket by organizing the Women League for which a budget of Rs seven billion has been allocated.”
The Committee which was held under the Chairmanship of MNA Nawab Sher lauded the Management of PCB for their tireless efforts to successfully organize the PSL-8 in the Country.
Sethi said PCB was also making countless ef-forts to revive the domestic and international cricket in the country and has to revive all the cricket clubs.
He said the previous PCB management had dis-rupted the structure of domestic cricket and now the department was heading for a revolution. “PCB doesn’t take any grant or funds from the Government of Pakistan, but generates its own revenues to reinvest in the development of cricket throughout the country at all levels.”
The Committee was also briefed regarding the rehabilitation of Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad. The PCB representative informed that the Stadium was taken back by the Civil Administration, Qasimabad, Hyderabad in 2018 without any prior notice or inti-mation. He said now, PCB management desires to take charge of the stadium.
The Committee directed the PCB management to have a meeting with the District Administration Hyderabad to resolve the issue of administrative charge of Niaz Stadium.
The Committee also appreciated the remarkable performance of Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) for promotion of sports, however, directed the Secretary, Ministry of IPC to substantially enhance the annual grant of the Federation. The Committee further directed the Ministry to conduct the free and fair elections in all the Sports Federations.
MNAs Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, Zulfiqar Ali Behan, Ms. Shahida Rehmani, Sardar Riaz Mah-mood Khan Mazari, Makhdoom Syed Sami Ul Has-san Gillani, Ms. Asiya Azeem and Ms. Wajiha Qamar and Engr. Sabir Hussain Kaim Khani (MNA/Special Invitee) attended the meeting. The senior officers from Ministry of IPC, representatives from Government of Sindh, PCB, AFP and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) were also present in the meet-ing.—APP
