Dar was paid double fee during HBL PSL9

KARACHI:

The PCB audit report has raised concerns over umpire Aleem Dar receiving double the standard match fee during PSL 9, as he was paid $4,000 per match instead of the set $2,000.

According to details in the report, Aleem Dar received an additional payment of approximately 3.85 million PKR under match fee expenditures. The note sheet labeled "PCB-DCOP-24-1848 – Payments for Match Officials, PSL 9, 2024" reveals that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed several umpires and match referees for PSL 9 fixtures.

As per PCB regulations, the match fee for an umpire on the ICC International Panel is $2,000 per match. However, Aleem Dar was paid $4,000 per match, which was double the official rate. This increased payment was approved by previous Chairman of the Management Committee.

The audit report states that this resulted in an additional financial burden of $14,000 on the PCB, 15 million PKR were allocated from the Chairman's contingency fund. In total, Aleem Dar received $28,000 as match official fees during PSL 9, in line with the ICC Elite Panel rate of $4,000 per match.

However, at the time of PSL 9, Aleem Dar was not part of the ICC Elite Panel. He was on the PCB's International Panel, meaning his designated fee should have been $2,000 per match. This led to an excess payment of $14,000 (around 3.85 million PKR) which, according to the audit, was beyond his entitlement.

The auditors concluded that this excessive payment not only gave undue benefit to the recipient but also caused financial loss to the PCB and the franchises.

In response, the PCB management explained that Aleem Dar, being part of the PCB International Panel, had requested to be paid at the ICC Elite Panel rate, and that this request was approved by the Chairman at the time. The report states that this response indicates the management acknowledged the audit's observation.