April 08, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 1, 1429

LAHORE, April 7: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), expecting financial loss in millions, has sold out the entire home series against Bangladesh, comprising five One-day International series and one Twenty-20, for an amount of Rs 27.5 million to a multi-national bank.

In the ceremony held at the Gaddafi Stadium to unveil the cup, the PCB chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi, while playing down the matter

of financial loss, said the board was working to promote cricket and not just to earn profit.

While the two captains Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Ashraful jointly lifted the cup at the impressive ceremony, PCB’s director marketing Ahsan Hameed Malik was quick to add that the amount was four times greater than the last series against Bangladesh, held in 2003.

However, it has been learnt that a major part of the sponsorship deal (around Rs 13 million) will be spent by the sponsors on publicity of the series in the city. A meagre amount of Rs one million is at stake as prize money.The PCB expects around Rs 14 million from TV rights for the Pakistan-BD contest. But the operational costs of the series are about Rs 30 million, while the PCB also needs Rs 12 million to pay match fees to its players. Bangladesh are not charging any amount for the series as in return, Pakistan will play similar number of matches in Bangladesh some time later this year or the next.