Coronavirus: Pakistan cricket financially well off for 12-14 months despite PSL suspension

The coronavirus pandemic has turned the world on its feet and the cricketing universe has not been immune to its impact. Almost all competitive cricket has been stopped throughout the globe. As a result, cricket boards across the world are expected to post varied amount of losses this year. With the PSL 2020 (Pakistan Super League) being postponed indefinitely, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was expected to suffer the most. Here is the actual impact that the tournament will have on the board's coffers.

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How the coronavirus affected Pakistan cricket after PSL suspension

The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 resulted in PSL suspension as the Pakistan cricket board could not risk harming any of its personnel. Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board had predicted that it would remain profitable despite the PSL semi-finals and finals being cancelled. However, it is now being revealed that the PCB has incurred some losses.

According to a report by a leading Indian sports portal, it was revealed that the PCB has lost almost 200 million Pakistani rupees (PKR) due to the cancellation of the remaining PSL and the cancellation of the upcoming Bangladesh tour of Pakistan has further resulted in losses of roughly 630 million Pakistani rupees.

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The total loses can be estimated at upto 800 million Pakistani rupees (₹38 crore or ₹380 million). The only immediate losses that have been suffered by the PCB are the gate receipts from the closed-door PSL matches, the ticket sales for the cancelled games and the profits from the Bangladesh tour of Pakistan. The PCB is still hoping to financially survive over the next year and hopes to turn things around by the end of the year. The Pakistan Cricket Board's losses have also been mitigated as their broadcasting and kit deals were just about to run out.

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Why was PSL cancelled? The reason behind PSL suspension

The PSL 2020 came to a very sudden halt prior to the semi-finals. The decision was taken by the PCB after a player had shown symptoms of the novel coronavirus. Soon enough, tests were done on all personnel involved in the league and all tests came back negative. The PSL 2020 will now be completed when the risks for the spreading of COVID-19 have subsided.

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