LAHORE - The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is working on a plan to hold a grand awards ceremony on the lines of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) annual awards in Pakistan in October 2012 to attract foreign attention, it has been learnt.
"Pakistan Cricket Board chief Zaka Ashraf is keen to hold high-profile cricket activities in the country at a time when international teams are not touring Pakistan because of security concerns and feels this would be a good way to present the soft image of Pakistan and its cricket," a source revealed on Saturday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has already started work and hopefully it will be finalised in October, the source stated.
"The idea is to showcase the positive side of Pakistan cricket and its talent on annual basis and utilise the awards ceremony to invite foreign guests as well," the source maintained. The source revealed that Pakistan Cricket Board Chief Zaka Ashraf was trying hard to bring international cricket back to Pakistan and believed one way towards this was to have dignitaries from the International Cricket Council and other cricket boards would be invited to attend the PCB grand awards ceremony.
"The board wants to organise its ceremony on a grand scale with cash prizes being awarded in different categories similar to the ones in the ICC awards," the source added. He pointed out that the Pakistan Cricket Board already had a system in place to offer financial incentives and bonuses to players who excel individually. "They already give financial incentives to players for scoring a century, half century, taking five or four wickets, catches in different formats of the game," he said.
If Pakistan Cricket Board chief Zaka Ashraf succeeded in holding the ceremony according to his desire that will also prove beneficial for the Pakistan Twenty20 league for which the cricket board had reportedly floated the bids for hosting the T20 league, the source added.
"Companies have been invited to submit details of their concepts for such a ceremony," added the source. He said the board also expected to generate some income from its annual awards as it would sell the broadcasting and other rights of the ceremony to a successful bidder.