La Liga postponed indefinitely as coronavirus crisis worsens

BARCELONA (Agencies): The Spanish soccer calendar has been postponed until further notice, La Liga and the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) said in a joint statement on Monday. All organised soccer in Spain had been postponed for two weeks due to the spread of the coronavirus but was initially due to resume on April 3. The statement said a joint commission between the two bodies had agreed to postpone all professional soccer competitions until the Spanish government considered they could start again “without creating any health risk”. “Both the RFEF and LaLiga wish to express our greatest public gratitude to all those who are dedicating their best efforts to provide essential services to the Spanish people,” added the statement. “We also share our condolences for all the deceased and a warm embrace from the world of soccer to the many families that are losing loved ones.”

PCB turns Karachi training facility into lodging area for paramedics

LAHORE (Staff Reporter): The Pakistan Cricket Board, on a request from the Sindh Government, has agreed to convert its Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre as a temporary living area for paramedic staff working at the makeshift hospital at Expo Centre, Karachi. PCB COO Salman Naseer said: “All the paramedic staff are our heroes as in these challenging and difficult times, they are risking their lives to save the lives and wellbeing of many affected by COVID-19. “As a small token of our appreciation and acknowledgement to these unsung heroes and as part of our duty of care, the PCB is pleased to offer its state-of-the-art Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre as a temporary lodging and boarding for the paramedic staff working at Expo Centre hospital so that they can serve those suffering from COVID-19 more effectively and efficiently.”

PCB clarification on live-streaming rights

LAHORE (Staff Reporter): The Pakistan Cricket Board has categorically denied a newspaper report which claimed it had awarded betting rights to a United Kingdom-based company. In a statement, the PCB said: “The PCB categorically denies and rejects the assertion that it entered into, or allowed any of its commercial partners to enter into, any contract or agreement for betting rights with any entity whatsoever. “The facts are PSL’s live-streaming rights outside Pakistan were granted pursuant to an international tender to an international company for three PSL editions from 2019 to 2021. The global media rights partner, without following the due approval process, awarded the live-streaming rights to a betting company. As soon as the matter came to the PCB’s notice, it immediately took it up with the media rights partner and correspondence in this regard is ongoing. “When a newspaper approached the PCB for comment last week, the PCB presented the facts which were, however, not reported accurately.”