Pakistan lost whopping $100 million for not hosting home games between 2009-2015

The Zimbabwean cricket team landed in Pakistan on Tuesday, October 20 for a limited-overs series which is set to commence from October 30 onwards. Interestingly, the Zimbabwe national team has arrived to Pakistan after a gap of five years. Their previous visit to the country, back in May 2015, ended Pakistan’s six-year isolation from international cricket, that began with the terrorist attack on the visiting Sri Lankan team in 2009.

Pakistan vs Zimbabwe 2020: Zimbabwe players arrive in Pakistan

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PCB incurred losses up to $100 million for shifting bases to UAE

According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), they incurred losses up to $100 million for hosting all their home matches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between 2009 and 2015. The PCB suffered the aforementioned losses from TV and other media rights. Touring parties, that cited security concerns for visiting Pakistan, then played their bilateral series against them in UAE.

The upcoming Pakistan vs Zimbabwe 2020 series is expected to be PCB’s move of attracting other visiting teams to their country, according to Pakistan-based cricketer-turned-reporter Qamar Ahmed. While speaking with the Anadolu Agency, Ahmed said that Zimbabwe’s current tour has a “double significance”. He referred to Zimbabwe’s tour to Pakistan in 2015 when they were in isolation and stated that their ongoing tour is part of PCB’s campaign to “lure international teams to their country” with proven security.

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Meanwhile, the Pakistan vs Zimbabwe 2020 series is expected to be closely followed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The PCB recently sent out an invitation to the ECB for a reciprocal tour in January 2021 after Pakistan visited England in August this year amidst a pandemic. Ahmed said if PCB manages to convince the ECB for a tour with the success of Pakistan vs Zimbabwe 2020 series, it will open the gates for other high-profile cricketing tours from teams like Australia and South Africa.

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Pakistan Super League 2020 updates

PCB’s premier domestic T20 tournament, the Pakistan Super League, also found its way to its home country earlier this year with the 2020 season. While the tournament attracted huge crowds, the Pakistan Super League 2020 season faced a delay in wake of the pandemic just before the playoffs stage. The remaining matches of the unfinished season will now be played between November 14 and 17, i.e. a few days after the conclusion of the BCCI-organised Dream11 Indian Premier League 2020 (IPL 2020) season.

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Image source: PCB Twitter