LAHORE: Though the Pakistan Cricket Board has refuted a recent report published in Dawn regarding its decision not to pay travelling and daily allowances and provide hotel accommodation to President’s Trophy Grade-II (Silver) match officials, the instructions issued by the PCB to them clearly state that no TA/DA or accommodation will be given.

Dawn reported on Wednesday that the PCB had decided not to provide accommodation or TA/DA to the match officials of the said event, scheduled to be played at different venues from Sept 19 to Oct 18.

In its refutation, the PCB maintained that there had been no decision to withdraw TA/DA from the match officials for the tournament.

According to the PCB, under its established policy, TA/DA is specifically provided to officials who are required to travel outside their home cities. The allowance, it said, is meant to cover additional travelling and food-related expenses incurred by outstation officials.

“The PCB has predominantly appointed Lahore-based umpires for the President’s Trophy Grade-II matches being played in Lahore and its vicinity. Since these officials are residents of the same city where they have been assigned duties, they are not classified as outstation officials and therefore do not qualify for TA/DA under the existing policy,” the PCB said in its refutation.

However, in an e-mail sent to the match officials appointed for the President’s Trophy Grade-II, the PCB, clearly addressing all the officials, stated: “Dear All, please find attached the nomination of [the] match officials for the subject event. The necessary supporting documents are also attached herewith for your reference. Kindly note that no TA/DA or hotel accommodation will be paid for the subject tournament.”

According to the tournament draws, five matches each are scheduled to be played in Sheikhupura, at Muridke’s Country Club and at some venues across Lahore.

In the past, Lahore-based match officials who travelled to supervise matches in Muridke and Sheikhupura were provided hotel accommodation as well as TA/DA. Sheikhupura and Muridke are located approximately 40 and 30 kilometres, respectively, from Lahore.

Keeping in view the security and logistical concerns of the match officials concerned, the PCB had previously arranged accommodation and paid TA/DA to Lahore-based officials deputed to these venues. The arrangement was also intended to avoid possible difficulties for umpires, referees and scorers travelling from Lahore in the event of road blockades, accidents or other unforeseen circumstances.

While most of the umpires and referees appointed for the matches in Muridke and Sheikhupura are based in Lahore, several scorers for the event are from other cities.

They include Tahir Suhaib (Faisalabad), Tahir Raza (Gujranwala), Qaiser Abbas (Dera Ghazi Khan), Farrukh Ilyas (Sialkot), Rehan Mahmood (Gujrat) and Asim Ali (Hafizabad). Four scorers are from Lahore.

The PCB, when contacted by Dawn twice to give its version on why the previous practice of considering Sheikhupura and Muridke as outstations for an official giving match duties in Lahore was changed, had not responded till the time of filing of this report.

It is pertinent to mention here that, from this season, the PCB has increased the entry fee for departments participating in the President’s Trophy Grade-II (Silver) to Rs4 million per season.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2026