Courage, the kind that is stern as steel, is smelted out of circumstances.
At this moment in time, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) finds itself in such circumstances. Until last week, Pakistan was set to host an international cricket tournament for the first time since 1996. The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 being held entirely on Pakistani soil was a dream 15 years in the making.
Since 2009, Pakistan has risen from the misery of the terror attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team to painstakingly rebuild trust amongst the international cricketing community. After being displaced from its home grounds, the team played in exile for years, making the UAE its home away from home. But slowly Pakistan Cricket built itself back up. Beginning with a tour by Zimbabwe in 2015 and culminating in seven editions of the HBL PSL, multiple tours by most major test teams, Pakistan cricket has learned to fly again. The cricket board is profitable, Pakistan has one of the most watched franchise T20 leagues in the world and our cricket team is internationally competitive with some big names on the world stage.
Perhaps what makes this feat even more remarkable is that it has been accomplished without India in the equation at all. In fact, since even before 2009 the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has consistently made it a point to demean, belittle, and bully the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Of course, the BCCI is more than happy to treat anyone this way and has regularly conducted itself this way with other cricketing nations. Now, they are trying to take away the ICC Champions Trophy from Pakistan as well. The content in this publication is expensive to produce. But unlike other journalistic outfits, business publications have to cover the very organizations that directly give them advertisements. Hence, this large source of revenue, which is the lifeblood of other media houses, is severely compromised on account of Profit’s no-compromise policy when it comes to our reporting. No wonder, Profit has lost multiple ad deals, worth tens of millions of rupees, due to stories that held big businesses to account. Hence, for our work to continue unfettered, it must be supported by discerning readers who know the value of quality business journalism, not just for the economy but for the society as a whole.To read the full article, subscribe and support independent business journalism in Pakistan
