KARACHI, March 9: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) fears major sponsors will desert the sport after last week’s attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore.

“Our major sponsors in Pakistan, who support cricket, are bound to rethink their sponsorship deals if we can’t have international cricket in the country,” PCB’s Chief Operating Officer Saleem Altaf said on Monday.

Seven people were killed and six Sri Lankan players wounded in last Tuesday’s attack on the Sri Lankan team bus and a coach carrying match officials.

“Obviously it is going to eat into our revenues and existing funds,” Saleem said.

Saleem pointed out Pakistan lost $20 million in estimated revenues when India cancelled.

On top of lost income from not hosting Tests, the PCB are now likely to incur increased costs for staging home series at neutral venues and finding suitable sponsors.

“Obviously the cost of staging matches at home is less then if we play at neutral venues and our sponsors remain happy,” he stated.

The former Test player added if no international cricket was held in Pakistan the board would have to spend more money on domestic tournaments to keep interest in the sport alive in the country.

The lack of international opportunities for Pakistan last year led the PCB to rejuvenate the domestic game and make it mandatory for the country’s leading players to take part.

The PCB has an estimated Rs2.6 billion ($32.22 million) in its kitty with $10 million coming from an advance payment from a five-year broadcasting/media rights deal for around $140.2 million with Dubai-based Ten Sports.

Saleem said the deal would remain intact and Pakistan had been assured by the ICC it would get hosting rights fees of around $2 million regardless of where the Champions Trophy is held this year.

For the fiscal year of June 2007 to July 2008 the PCB had a budget of Rs2.4 billion ($29.74 million) with about Rs730 million ($9.05 million) dedicated for development work and running domestic cricket.

The PCB has not announced a budget for the fiscal year of 2008-09 but sources on the board said following the appointment of chairman Ijaz Butt, the development work costs had been cut down as had administrative expenditures but the costs of organising domestic cricket remained the same.—Reuters