While it is understandable that every news channel depends on the revenue that it generates through advertisements, it is quite disconcerting to see a plethora of adverts that PTV Sports runs during the Cricket World Cup matches as soon it finds even the tiniest of halts in play.

The channel needs to understand that it is okay to run TVCs when the bowler ends an over, but it is not right to show a series of adverts when an umpire’s decision is being reviewed by the players in the middle.

For example, in the Pakistan-South Africa match, when the umpire gave Wahab Riaz out (LBW), instead of waiting for the decision to be reviewed, what the viewers got to see were a great many TVCs and when the match was shown again live, Sohail Khan was already at the crease. No more comments.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, March 15th, 2015

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