PCB appoints event manager for Champions Trophy
Karachi (PTI): In a bid to get tax exemption for the ICC Champions Trophy to be held here this year, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed a senior bureaucrat from the ministry of finance as the event manager of the tournament.
"Ahmed Farooq is a highly qualified and senior official in the Ministry of finance who specialises in tax matters. That is why we have brought him in for the coming tournament," a Pakistan Cricket Board source said.
The ICC has made it mandatory for host countries to have tax exemptions on all earnings from the Champions Trophy and this snowballed into a major controversy when the last edition of the tournament was held in India in 2004.
The Indian board had to finally convince their government to give the tax exemption to prevent the ICC from shifting the tournament to some other country.
"The same is the case with Pakistan. The PCB have not been able to get tax exemption clearance from their government," the source added.
He said Farooq was now working closely with the board to sort out the tax issues and get the exemption clearance for the government.
"That is why we have not appointed a former cricketer or known cricket administrator for this post. A lot of tax related issues are involved when you host a tournament of the magnitude of the Champions Trophy," the source stated.
The ICC will send an inspection delegation to Pakistan after the general elections on February 18 to review the arrangements for the Champions Trophy which is due to held in September-October.
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