The Pakistan Super League (PSL) scene is changing dramatically as the doors to surrogate advertising are closed now. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has boldly decided to stop surrogate advertising from the tournament. This aligns with government regulations. The governing council will review this decision in their meeting.
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Surrogate advertising first appeared in Pakistani cricket a few years ago, with multinational businesses increasing their foothold through rebranding. Many of these businesses effectively used media publicity to sell their products. Despite the media coverage, officials remained silent, refusing to issue any alerts or directions to remedy the problem.
Why is it important?
Surrogate firms were many franchise sponsors in the eighth season of the PSL. The issue gained traction after Multan Sultans captain Mohammad Rizwan made a stand by hiding his sponsor badges during a match, bringing the problem to light.
But why is it so important? It just happens to be that most of these companies were involved with online betting. Betting is strictly prohibited in Islam. That is why most of the cricketers took a stand against these companies. Even Rashid Latif posted about this on X (formerly known as Twitter). However, no one paid much attention to it.
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Because of recent controversy, the government now entirely prohibits surrogate advertising. The decision was unclear at first. However, a second government notification has clarified things, highlighting a zero-tolerance policy for surrogate advertising in cricket and other sports.
Final thoughts
The decision to ban surrogate advertising underscores the PSL’s commitment to openness, honesty, and compliance with government mandates as it plots its future route. The Lahore Governing Council meeting will be a turning point, laying the groundwork for a PSL season that welcomes constructive change while maintaining the essence of the game.
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This was also important since it was hurting the religious sentiments of the majority of the fans, along with the Pakistani players. Betting companies have no space in a country where the majority of people are practicing Muslims.