PCB Broadcasting Woes

The ongoing legal feud between Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Pakistan Television (PTV) has been

settled outside of court, mediated by the Prime Minister Imran Khan's office. Both parties are now expected to withdraw litigation. The revenue sharing model, ESPNcricinfo understands, has also been revised, allowing PCB to take 72% of the share while PTV will take 28% out of the commercial deals, a significant change from the previous 57.5 - 42.5 arrangement.

The PCB had signed a three-year broadcast deal last year in September with PTV to broadcast home cricket, as well as an agreement with I-Media Communications Services, to ensure the PCB's broadcast content is not redistributed illegally by cable operators. The model could have potentially had them earn in excess of USD $200 million, but last month new PCB chairman Ramiz Raja had unilaterally suspended the deal with PTV and terminated the I-Media contract to open a new tender for the media rights for Pakistan's upcoming series against West Indies and Australia.

 

PTV had gone to Lahore Civil Court to obtain a stay order against PCB's abrupt move, and the two parties were struck in a legal wrangle - PCB going to the High Court - with the West Indies series around the corner. The courts adjourned the hearings while the PCB was keen to go into fresh bidding and bring in a new broadcaster; PTV, the state broadcaster, was unhappy with this and had a number of meetings to renegotiate with PCB, citing that they had never violated their agreements or defaulted on their payments.

 

The expected earnings from this deal would come from advertising revenue and also, for the first time in Pakistan, distribution revenue from the cable operators - the equivalent of revenues that broadcasters make from subscriptions - through I-Media was meant to ensure that the distribution of cricket content would only be done through licensed cable operators, and the value of the content would be protected against potential illegal distribution. The production rights however had to be regulated by PCB on their own.

 

The deal with I-Media now stands terminated due to non-compliance on payments. The Pakistan government is yet to implement the Digital Pakistan policy, one part of which regulates the illegal cable operator business, though the plan is to have it done within a year.

 

The broadcast deal until last year was signed in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic in a shrinking broadcast market. It ended a long-running broadcast relationship between the PCB and Ten Sports, and there were no potential overseas takers at the time as international rights for PCB's home series were sold separately to various channels around the world.

 

Recently though, Pakistan has had a few local sports broadcasters to choose from. The ARY Group has launched an HD sports channel, A-Sports, which covered the T20 World Cup and is presently broadcasting the Lankan Premier League. PTV broadcasts its content in standard definition, but as per ESPNcricinfo, the state broadcaster is set to upgrade their broadcasting quality to HD within a month.

Shame that 2022, and still State Television on SD Quality

Broadcasting Contracts for Cricket (Television)

Event	Broadcaster	Rights Details
ICC Events	Star Sports and Disney+Hotstar	Global audio visual rights for all events organized by ICC for 8-year period 2015–2023. Starts after 2015 World cup.[5][6] Camera, Commentary and the whole production rights are retained by ICC and taken care by an umbrella organisation called ICC TV.[7]
English Cricket Domestic Rights	Sky Sports BBC Sport (Highlights)	UK and Ireland rights on all platforms for all games organized by ECB including International, Domestic and T20 League for 5-year period 2020–24[8]
Indian Cricket Domestic Rights	Star Sports, Disney+Hotstar and state owned free to air channel DD Sports (only ODIs and T20)	Global rights for all games organized by BCCI other than Indian Premier League for the 5-year period 2018–23.[9]
Indian Premier League	Star Sports and Disney+Hotstar	Global rights for IPL on all platforms for the 5-year period 2018–2022[10]
Australian Cricket Domestic Rights	Channel 7 (only test matches and Big Bash League) and Fox Cricket (all matches and Big Bash League)	Australian rights for all Cricket organized by CA including International, Domestic and Big Bash League for 6-year period 2018–2024.[11]
South African Cricket Domestic Rights	Supersport	Rights for all cricket organized by CSA from May 2015 through April 2021[12]
Pakistani Cricket Domestic Rights	PTV Sports , Daraz	All International & Domestic Cricket Matches in Pakistan organized by PCB from 2020 to 2023 for Broadcast in Pakistan (does not include Pakistan Super League)[13] Daraz has rights for live streaming Pakistan vs New Zealand and all other upcoming Pakistan series. in 2021.
Pakistan Super League	Geo Super and PTV Sports , Sky Sports , Sky NZ Super Sports , Willow TV , Sony Sports India, Flow Sports
West Indian Cricket Domestic Rights	Flow Sports
New Zealand Cricket Domestic Rights	Spark Sport from April 2020
Sri Lankan Cricket Domestic Rights	Sony Pictures Networks India[14]
Bangladeshi Cricket Domestic Rights	Gazi Television(GTV) and T SPORTS
Bangladesh Premier League	GTV, Maasranga Television, Rabbithole Sports	Channel 9 was the official broadcaster From 2012 to 2016. Later on, GTV and Maasranga Television bought the right to broadcast on Satellite TV.[15] As well as Rabbithole Sports is digitally live streaming all the matches.[16]

First, PTV sports was launched in sd video quality. A few weeks ago, PTV Home was launched in hd quality. Now, Officials has started PTV Sports Hd in hd quality. PTV News was also started in hd video quality. Now, PTV Sports hd is started in hd format. PTV Sports hd is a Government channel. This channel will telecast ICC Cricket WorldCup 2021. You can watch ICC Cricket WorldCup 2021 in HD video quality on PTV Sports hd. You can tune new frequency of PTV Sports hd by following this frequency.

Ptv Sports HD New Frequency

• Channel Name : PTV Sports HD
• Satellite Name : Paksat-1R
• Direction : @38.0° East
• Frequency : 4052
• Symbol Rate : 5800
• Polarity : Vertical
• Picture Quality : MPEG-4 HD (720×576)
• Encryption : No
• Package : No

 

 

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Rafi Cricket Stadium

Rafi Cricket Stadium is an under-construction cricket stadium located in Bahria Town Karachi,

An artistic rendition of the Rafi Cricket Stadium

Pakistan. Once completed, it will be the largest in Pakistan. Designed by Gerkan, Marg and Partners, it has an ICC certified design, the complex will consist of a cricket academy of international standard, gymnasium, swimming pool and hostels. The complex will also include a sports academy.

Ground breaking ceremony

Bahria Town Karachi held the ground breaking ceremony of Pakistan's biggest cricket stadium in Sports City Karachi on Friday, 14 April 2017. The ceremony was attended by the top management of Bahria Town and legendary cricketers like Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas, Shoaib Mohammad, Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal and Fawad Alam. Residents of Bahria Town Karachi as well as people from across the city attended this glorious ceremony.

Chief Guest of the event was the Chairman of Bahria Town; Malik Riaz Hussain, who performed the groundbreaking ceremony by pressing the button to start the crane on the project site. He said on the event that Rafi Cricket Stadium will be built in about one and a half ^years and by next two years, there will be international cricket matches in this ground. Given the level of security in Bahria Town, and ongoing construction of Hyatt Regency Hotel near Theme Park in Precinct 5, Rafi Cricket Stadium will be an optimal place for hosting international cricket events. 

Architect

Designed by world renowned GMP Germany, the creators of Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Rafi Cricket Stadium's structure has been designed by Boston-based Simpson SGH whereas the façade has been created by SBP Consultants Germany and M&B (Mushtaq & Bilal) Pakistan, MEP is designed by SMC (S. Mehboob & Company) Pakistan, and Pre-Cast Support Consultants are JPC, USA.

 

 

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A strong Pakistani comeback into Dhaka Test

SITUATION AT STUMPS - DAY 4

Bangladesh 76 for 7 (Sajid 6-35) 

Pakistan 300-4 (Babar 76, Azhar 56, Taijul 2-73)

trail by 224 runs 

I do not want myself to be seen anything like Athar Ali Khan, but today's performance of Pakistan team needs appreciation, because today's performance both with bat and ball made sure that Pakistan has slight chance of winning the second test while still a 55% chances of Bangladesh saving the match, which is also mentioned on Cricinfo but now time is the constraint as four sessions remain before Pakistan would be packing their bags for Pakistan, to play against Windies at Karachi.

Mystery Bowler in Sajid Khan

Newbie in Sajid Khan made sure that Bangladesh
would be fighting to avoid following on

Pakistan got busy as soon as play commenced at 10:50am. They first declaring on 300 for four, with half-centuries from Mohammad Rizwan and Fawad Alam. Then, despite being hamstrung by the umpires' diktat that play wouldn't continue if they operate with fast bowlers, Pakistan made inroads with spin.

On Tuesday, play was called off at 4.30pm, an hour before scheduled close. Conditions continued to remain murky all day. Yet, it was better than on the three previous days where heavy rain allowed just 63.2 overs to be bowled in the Test.

Sajid Khan's maiden six-wicket haul left Bangladesh in danger of being made to follow-on with one day of the Dhaka Test to go. It remains to be seen if the weather will halt Pakistan's push for full WTC points, though.

Debutant Mahmudul Hasan Joy tried to charge off spinner Sajid, only managing to edge to slip. Then, Hasan Ali made his presence felt at point, first with a simple catch to dismiss Shadman Islam before running out Mominul Haque with a direct hit.

Mushfiqur Rahim was the next to go, one ball after surviving a close lbw call, as he tried to swing Sajid across the line with Fawad taking the catch at short midwicket. Then, Liton Das, sent ahead of Shakib Al Hasan, tried to attack Sajid but only hit one back to the bowler as Bangladesh slipped to 46 for 5.

Sajid then completed his five-for when he trapped Najmul Hossain Shanto for 30. Shanto couldn't capitalise on his reprieves, first being dropped on 13 and later when he was caught behind off a Nauman Ali no-ball.

Shakib tried to bristle his way for runs, but Bangladesh kept losing wickets. Mehidy Hasan Miraz became Sajid's sixth victim. Shakib and Taijul Islam then survived 5.2 overs before play was called off.

Pakistan had earlier declared their first innings on 300 immediately after Fawad reached his second Test half-century. Rizwan made an unbeaten 53 off 94 balls, with the pair's unbroken fifth-wicket stand worth 103.

Rizwan endured slices of luck; he was dropped on 30 apart from surviving two lbw calls from the on-field umpires, both reversed through DRS.

Bangladesh had started well with pacers Ebadot Hossain and Khaled Ahmed bowling well in tandem, with the wickets of Azhar Ali and Babar Azam respectively. It was Khaled's first Test wicket, having bowled 69.4 overs over three Tests since his debut in November 2018.

When it comes to the Ashes

Tomorrow at 5 am Pakistan time (+5 GMT) and likewise 12 am Greenwich Meridian Time, England would be locking horns against their rivals Australia in Australia, hence this is gonna be something to worth watching, if there were India-Pakistan games, only than I won't had taken that much of the interest, but whatever the circumstances, the longest cricket format is likely to be watchable either in Australia and/or England, just because of different factors, 

1. the Crowd
2. Ambiance at ground
3. Production and broadcast quality and standard
4. On-Ground Theming
   

On-Ground theming

This is something many of my fellow Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan friends would be thinking that یہ لڑکا کیا اول فول بک رہا ہے but Australian, British and Proteas ground advertisement does complement their theming, unlike Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Lankan grounds, where use of theming colours on on-ground advertisement does look obnoxious because just imagine you're watching a game in either of the South Asian countries, instead of watching a complementary colour schema as yellow, orange, black etc are always seen, including India who're now incorporated with electronic on-ground advertisement, but still they way colour combinations are used during British, Australian, New Zealand and Proteas games, which is pleasing to the eyes.

One of the most anticipated series was the one between Australia and India in Australia where heavy usage of electronic advertisement was implemented. Along with the sporting excellence on display during the last two games between these two sides, technological brilliance is also witnessed by the sponsors.

In the first two one day international games, virtual advertisements have been used in Australia. The main sponsors of the series were not painted or laid down on the ground. The technology was used by the broadcast team to virtual embed these logos. In the past, sponsors used to get visibility when their big logos were painted in patches across the ground. However, technological advancement has made sure that there is no need to paint or lay down the carpets on the ground.

Dream11, Hero, Sensodyne, Ebco, IIFL, Amazon, Volkswagen were some of the brands that had virtual logos embedded during the one-day games between Australia and India. They were found on either sides of the playing pitch.

Virtual 3D logos are not being implemented for the first time in cricket grounds. In the past, virtual 3D logos have also been seen during India’s games in New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Considering the exposure on the television is not affected during the use of virtual 3D logos, brands are unlikely to be against using this technology. In the stadium, LED boards on the boundaries have also given another avenue to sponsors to explore without making any physical changes to the field.

However, the physical presence of logos is essential for the crowds in the stadiums. As of now, most of the games are played behind closed doors, so it does not make a big difference. Fans have been let in during the ODI series between India and Australia. It will be interesting to see whether they continue to use this approach when fans are completely back in the stadium.

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Hawk-eye and the slower bowlers

Hawk-eye may be good for pace bowlers but for spinners who turn the ball?
Pacers may get the close to 100%
But can it predict actual speed and bounce off the pitch variations when it comes to spinners?

I usually get note of small things happening around me all the time, so similarly with cricket, while watching Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Aamer demolishing English batting during second innings at the Oval, I noted one thing that for majority of predictions Hawk-eye was presenting were not accurate, and at times when couple of Ajmal's appeals were turned down, while seeing on hawk-eye it were seen that Saeed Ajmal was actually generating a bounce for the good length area like a pace bowler, although I personally think majority of those appeals which were turned down were creating doubts, but to show that those deliveries were actually bouncing so much off the batting crease to hit the bales of the wickets keeping in mind the ball HAD to travel some distance to hit the wicket, that seems as if its not Saeed Ajmal but Aamer, Malinga, Lee or Akhtar bowling.

I personally don't think this current hawk-eye thing suits spinners as I myself play cricket and majority of spinners do rely on their late spin aswell and that thing is diminished from hawk-eye or virtual both! For bowlers like great Muralitharan or Warney who used to turn miles, the hawk-eye used to show their turn as a straight line instead of natural movement, and even when the ball used to bounce off the seam, even than hawk-eye showed its limitations!

Even in the third image, you can clearly see that variable bounce can't be confirmed in this view. One might say that its just a predictor and 100% result can't be confirmed, ok than but its defying the rules of projectile motion theory, you can't predict trajectory 100% after it bounces, every bowler has his own bounce and so defining all of them under a simple predefined computer illustration is slightly unfair to the bowler, who already been not lucky when it comes to taking advantage compared to batters!

On the whole its a good technology for showing pitch maps and ground scoring analysis but loop holes clearly been observed when it comes to spinner bowling, and similarly this technology can be tricky for surfaces in South Asia, where there are low bounce pitches void of much support for the bowlers except for spinners...