Age Fraud in PCB
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Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to challenge the proposal of their counterpart Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to expand the window for the Indian Premier League (IPL) for a two and-a-half-month period.

After bagging a lucrative deal of the IPL media rights for the next cycle (2023-2027) for a whopping sum of INR 48,390 crore, BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed the number of matches are likely to increase in the cash-rich league in future.

From the next FTP cycle, IPL will have an official two-and-a-half-month window so that all the top international cricketers can participate. We have had discussions with various boards as well as the ICC,” Shah had told news agency PTI.

IPL 2022, BCCI, Jay Shah, Sourav Ganguly
IPL 2022, BCCI, Jay Shah, Sourav Ganguly. (Photo: IPL)

Will give my views on this issue at the ICC conference: PCB chairman Ramiz Raja

Reacting to Shah’s comments on increasing the number of fixtures and extending the duration of the league, PCB chairman Ramiz Raja said he will highlight the point in the next ICC conference. The former Pakistan cricketer also said if required they will challenge the decision.

There has been no announcement or decision as yet on the IPL window being increased. I will give my views on this issue at the ICC conference,” Raja said during a media conference in Lahore on Friday.

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Ramiz Raja
PCB president Ramiz Raja. Credits: PCB

“My point is clear: if there is any development in world cricket that means we are being short-changed, we will challenge it in a very forceful manner and put our point across strongly in the ICC,” he added.

How did BCCI earn INR 48,390 crore from new IPL Media Rights?

For the first time in the history of IPL, the BCCI had divided the media rights for the cash-rich league into four different categories: A) TV Rights for the Indian subcontinent B) Digital Rights C) 18 games (inaugural game, weekend double-headers, 4 play-off fixtures) D) Rest of the World.

Disney Star, who bought the rights for both TV and digital in the last cycle for a sum of INR 16,347.50  crore, retained the television rights for the Indian sub-continent with a figure of INR 23,575 crore. Viacom18, the new entrant in the market, secured the digital rights for INR 20,500 crore and also bagged the deal of the non-exclusive package C of 18 games for INR 2991 crore.

In Package D, which includes TV and digital rights for the rest of the world, Viacom18 secured the territories of Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom (UK) while Times Internet won the Middle East and North Africa regions and the US.

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The package for A and B is comprised of 410 games across five seasons with 74 each in the first two years (2023-2024) followed by 84 in the next two seasons (2025-2026) and the IPL 2024 could include 94 matches.

Also Read: This Is Not About Quality At All, It Is Business Totally – Rashid Latif On IPL Media Rights