Pakistan struggles to find sponsors

Karachi, July 6: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is feeling the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic as it has failed to find a main sponsor for the national team which is presently in England.

Pakistan play England in a three-match Test series beginning in Manchester on August 5, followed by a three-match T20 series.

A well-placed source in the PCB said that negotiations were continuing with one multi-national beverage company, which had shown interest in signing a new team logo sponsorship deal but had offered an amount far below the expectations of the Board’s marketing pundits.

“The PCB’s deal with the beverage company expired recently and the Board invited fresh bids for the national team’s main logo sponsorship deal but no one submitted any bids except for the same beverage company,” the source said.

He said the company had offered only 35 to 40 per cent of the amount it had earlier paid to the board in their last contract.

“It is a problem but negotiations are still on but it is becoming clear that the Coronavirus outbreak has even hit the multinational companies badly,” he said.

The PCB’s marketing department has also failed to find sponsors for its revised domestic structure and for the second season running it has been forced to bear all expenses of the 12 provincial teams in the division one and two competitions.

It is also facing problems finding a new broadcaster to buy the rights of Pakistan’s international home series after its fouryear deal with TEN sports expired recently. — PTI