LAHORE, Sept 5: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has sold TV rights of the home series against South Africa and Sri Lanka scheduled to be held in the UAE with only two bidders emerging for both the series. Each bidder got a series apiece.

Both the series will be held at neutral venues of the UAE.

According to reports, a local sports channel having no experience in covering any international cricket series has been sold the TV rights of the series against Sri Lanka which contains Test, ODI and T20 matches scheduled to start in December.

Before facing Sri Lanka in the UAE, Pakistan will also host South Africa in the desert state in October and November which broadcast rights have been given to a Dubai-based channel owned by an Indian.

There are also chances that the bidders might not have to haggle with the PCB since there were only two bidders in the race with the country’s cricket regulatory body having almost no option to go for a high bid.

Hopefully, PCB caretaker chairman Najam Sethi, who also happens to be an employee of the local TV channel, has not favoured his organisation while selling it TV rights.

Nonetheless, the PCB will have to clarify its position with regard to the sale of TV rights to Sethi’s organisation.

It is important to be noted that when Sethi was appointed as interim PCB chairman by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, critics expressed apprehension that his appointment was made to favour the local TV channel in getting media rights as the same channel failed to buy TV rights during the last PPP government.