PCB looking to find new home venue options outside UAE

After the terrorists’ attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team bus in 2009, the cricket community boycotted the country and stopped visiting Pakistan for the game which forced the country to play their home series on the neutral places and they used UAE as their virtual home venue. But in the upcoming time, UAE will host many leagues which raised concern for the Pakistan cricket board and they opined that it will be difficult for them to continue playing in Dubai, Sharjah, or Abu Dhabi.

“We have started looking at alternate venues for our home and PSL matches and I am going in March to Malaysia to see the grounds and facilities there and if everything works out well then obviously we see Malaysia as a venue which can host our international home series and the PSL as well,” Najam Sethi told media quoted by PTI.

The Emirates Cricket Board allowed Afghanistan Cricket Board to introduce its T20 league in Dubai and Sharjah and PCB reportedly not seemed happy with the development. It has also come to the notice that the plan of hosting yet another edition of the T10 league in the UAE this year is also on hold, which hasn't gone down well with the cricket board.

In last some years, Pakistan hosted all their home games in UAE and also launched PSL in Dubai two years ago. But now, with their search of new venues, PCB are forced to look at other countries for the alternate option for their home games and Malaysia is on the top of their wish list at the moment.

The reason behind choosing Malaysia is the country had already hosted ICC events before and PCB would cut down its costs by half if they agreed on hosting home series or PSL. The Pakistan board failed to earn any profit from its home series since 2010 because of the costs of organising matches out of the country.