Pakistan’s Tit For Tat Attempt: Bans IPL Telecast, Claims India Making ‘Organised Effort’ To Hurt Its Cricket

Claiming that India is responsible for making an ‘organised effort to harm’ cricket in Pakistan, the Pakistani government yesterday (2 March) banned all telecasts of Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in the country, reports The Economic Times.

According to Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, the decision was made by the Pakistani Cabinet at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is himself the former captain of the country’s cricket team.

Chaudhry claimed the move was made because India was trying to hurt the game in Pakistan.

"India made an organised effort to harm cricket in Pakistan and it doesn't make sense for us to allow an Indian domestic tournament to be promoted here," he said.

He referred to the instance of DSport, the official broadcaster of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in India, stopping its coverage of matches during the middle of the tournament in the wake of the Pulwama attack. Moreover, Indian firm IMG Reliance also withdrew from a deal to telecast PSL matches internationally, forcing the country’s T20 league to look for a new production company while the tournament was ongoing.

Chaudhry stated that the cabinet decision would be implemented by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).