Court orders PCB to prohibit sponsorship deals with betting firms in PSL, national cricket

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday ordered the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to ban sponsorships from betting companies.

This decision prohibits these firms from displaying their logos on the uniforms of national cricket players and Pakistan Super League (PSL) team members.

The ruling was made by a bench consisting of Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Waqar Ahmad, who considered a petition filed by Syed Muhammad Tanseer Ahmad Sherazi.

The petitioner challenged the PCB’s and PSL's sponsorship agreements with proxy companies connected to international betting organizations and casinos.

Advocate Nouman Muhib Kakakhel, representing the petitioner, argued that betting and gambling are illegal in Pakistan. He stated that these proxy companies, through their sponsorship deals, are promoting gambling to the youth.

He also pointed out that these betting platforms, available on both Android and iOS, enable users to easily transfer money through local financial services like EasyPaisa and JazzCash, facilitating betting on sports events.

The court was informed that these betting companies disguise themselves as sports news providers or utilities manufacturers, yet on deeper inspection, they are found to be fronts for international gambling operations.

PCB’s counsel presented documentation indicating that since the filing of the petition, the board held several meetings with stakeholders and banned sponsorships from surrogate companies.

Betting companies like 1xBat and MelBAT were identified as offenders.

Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim further noted a concerning photo of cricketer Muhammad Rizwan playing in the PSL with tape covering a betting company’s logo on his shirt.

The court expressed alarm over these incidents, stating that the discomfort expressed by national players with such sponsorships was troubling.