After Pakistan Television (PTV) had decided to not to air the upcoming Green Brigade’s tour of England in the country as Sony TV, the Indian broadcasters, has all the broadcasting rights for South Asia, several reports suggest that the issue might be different rather than what is being said.
As per sources, PTV’s denial to air the tour is not due to Pakistan’s Kashmir policy against India but, rather the PTV is not ready to pay what the broadcasters are demanding to telecast the said series in the country.
Sources said that PTV had to pay the arrears of past six years to Sony TV, which will cover the series between England and Pakistan.
During the white-ball tour, Pakistan, led by Babar Azam, is scheduled to play three ODIs and as many T20Is in England between July 8 and July 20.
The PTV, sources added, is in negotiations with Tower Sports to get the rights from it as it is a Dubai-based company headed by a Pakistani named Zahid Noorani, so that it will be in a position to complete the arrangements.
Earlier, former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi had slammed its governemnt on the issue and felt the story was something different than what it was being depicted.
“It is all drama being staged in order to gain political mileage by using the name of Kashmir. The fact is that the government is using pressure tactics while seeking to reduce the money being demanded by the broadcaster [for the England series], which is an Indian company,” Sethi was quoted as saying by The Dawn after Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry had announced that the government had decided not to telecast the England matches because an Indian broadcaster holds the rights of the series.