KARACHI, Nov 2: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has earned Rs.75,330,155 from the sales of tickets for five ODIs and three Tests against India, according to figures released recently.

However, the PCB's much publicised declaration of having done with for ever the VIP culture of doling out complimentary tickets to friends and people in power onwards was nothing but another attempt to hoodwink the media and the public.

Before the start of the Indian team's visit the PCB chairman had proudly declared that no complimentary/free tickets would be given from now on the strict instructions of the PCB patron, Gen Pervez Musharraf. The PCB boss even claimed that the president himself would buy tickets.

Unfortunately in Pakistan, old habits die hard and the VIP culture is still firmly embedded in our mindset and there appears to be no end in sight.

More recently hundreds of complimentary/free tickets to VIPs and those in high places were distributed by the PCB for the just concluded tri-nation tournament, a fact PCB chief admitted publicly after an altercation between the PCB media consultant and an adviser to the Sindh Chief Minister surfaced in news media.

Later, the PCB chief tried to justify his going back on his words and stated that it was not possible to avoid giving free tickets under the prevalent conditions.

According to PCB's own in-house audited statement of account of the sale of tickets for the five ODIs against India, a staggering Rs38,78,700 worth of tickets were distributed by top PCB officials under the vague head of "Administrative partners/Management". Who were actual beneficiarices of tickets worth such a huge amount is anybody's guess.

The accounts also show tickets worth Rs8078750 doled out under the head Contractual Obligations.

Besides, the statement of account also claims that 4.7 per cent seats surely worth a couple of millions of rupees, were held back to meet the 11th hour contingencies and adjusted against franchized seats. Again no mention of the actual beneficiaries.

However, if the PCB really wanted transparency the statement of accounts for sales of tickets, it would have been much better if it had opted for an independent auditor, instead of going for an in-house audit.