Pakistan Cricket Board President Najam Sethi makes bold claim about the PSL being better than the ITL

Najam Sethi (Source: Twitter)

According to reports in the media, Najam Sethi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board's interim management committee, said that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season had outperformed the Indian T20 League in terms of digital ratings.

Sethi thanked the supporters in addition to the federal and provincial governments of Punjab and Sindh for helping to make the event successful, saying that this season's PSL received a digital rating of 150 as opposed to the Indian T20 League's 130 in its previous iteration.

What did Najam Sethi talk about in the press conference?

The 74-year-old added that for the sake of the general public, the PCB is in discussions with the appropriate authorities in Karachi and Lahore to construct five-star hotels for the players close to the stadiums. He said, "We have proposals to hold some matches of the league in the United States and if we get a chance, we will explore that option."

The PCB President then spoke about how the PSL has affected the country's economy. He said, "PSL has contributed in keeping the country's economic wheel moving as it created job opportunities and helped tourism, hotel industry, airlines, and road travelling business grow," Sethi said before disclosing the taxes paid to the government. "We have paid Rs 70 crores in taxes to the federal government, Rs 50 crores in sales taxes, and another Rs 50 crores in provincial taxes."

He then discussed the controversy surrounding three betting organisations sponsoring PSL teams. Sethi made it clear that the deals would be reviewed because they were made before his appointment as PCB chairman. He added, "The PCB would not be involved in any activities against the religion, culture, and tradition of the land."

On Saturday, Lahore Qalandars defeated Multan Sultans by one run to win the thrilling PSL championship for the first time. After scoring a quick 44 not out, captain Shaheen Shah Afridi took 4-51, but he was forced to perform a run out at the bowler's end when Multan's Khushdil Shah attempted to run a third to force a super over.