LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) may not get any handsome sponsorship for the senior national team, which currently touring England, mainly due to weak financial position of the market in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A sizeable sponsorship deal is essential at this stage for the Pakistan team which is not displaying any sponsor’s logo at the moment on its kits. The PCB may be forced to sign even a one-year deal instead of the customary three-year deals in the past because of the extraordinary circumstances of the financial sector due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

The previous three-year deal with a renowned beverages company expired in March this year and that company has reportedly not shown further interest to extend the sponsorship as its partnership agreement with the PCB spanning over two decades has finished.

The PCB fetched a handsome $8.5 million from the last three-year deal with the beverages company but according to reports, the market response now is considerably poor from the business houses and the Board may sign only a one-year deal amounting to something like $1.2m.

During the one year, besides the current series against England, Pakistan have to tour New Zealand and South Africa besides hosting the Zimbabwe.

It may be mentioned that this year the PCB also have to sign deals for the media rights, title sponsorship but due to Covid-19, it will be a test of the abilities of the PCB and its marketing department to negotiate well with the broadcasters and lure in the sponsors for Pakistan cricket.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2020