ICC agrees to assist PCB in financial woes

KARACHI: The International Cricket Council on Friday agreed to provide "some form of assistance" to the Pakistan Cricket Board over financial constraints related to not being able to compete at home.

In the board meeting held in Cape Town, the ICC discussed a request from Pakistan in which PCB had suggested a special fund to be allocated to Pakistan in light of its financial issues because of not being able to host matches in Pakistan.

"The ICC Board, on the recommendation of the Financial and Commercial Affairs Committee, agreed that some form of assistance will be provided,” the ICC said in a statement on Friday.

“The matter will be discussed with PCB going forward,” the ICC added.

Pakistan has not been able to host matches at home since terrorist attack on Sri Lankan Cricket team in Lahore in 2009.

There also discussed the structure of international bilateral cricket as members to bring greater context across all three formats of the game.

“Further work will be undertaken around scheduling before a full proposal for consideration will go to the ICC Board in February,” said the ICC spokesmen of discussion on international Cricket structure.

During the meeting, Cricket Australia, hosts for the men’s and women’s ICC World Twenty20 in 2020, proposed holding the women’s tournament as a stand-alone event six months ahead of the men’s edition.

“The ICC Board approved this request considering it a big step forward for the women’s game in a market where there is a clear appetite for women’s cricket given the success of the WBBL,” a statement from ICC said.