UK company threatens to seize Pakistan cricket team’s assets on England tour over $33 million dispute

The Pakistan cricket team is presently in the UK for a bilateral series against England. A UK-based company has threatened to seize the assets of Pakistan cricket team over $33 million dispute.

• UK-based company, Broadsheet LLC, has threatened to seize assets of Pakistan cricket team

• Pakistan cricket team is presently in the UK for a bilateral series against England

• The state of Pakistan and the National Accountability Bureau reportedly owe Broadsheet LLC $33 million

The Pakistan cricket team is protected by the novel coronavirus by a bubble during their tour of England but a different sort of danger is looming large on the travelling side. A UK-based company, Broadsheet LLC, has threatened to seize the assets of the Pakistan cricket team over its dispute worth $33 million with the country.

As per a report in The Wire, Broadsheet had won an arbitration case against the state of Pakistan and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) which even got them the court orders ‘to seize the assets of the Pakistan national cricket team’. With the likes of Babar Azam, Azhar Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmed and others in the UK for the tour, the company could initiate the action soon.

Broadsheet also sent a letter to Pakistan’s counsel, Allen & Overy claiming that Pakistan and NAB have failed to pay more than $33 million that they owe to them. It has also been reported that for the past few months, Allen & Overy have even stopped responding to the UK company.

“The Pakistan cricket team is currently in the UK preparing for a Test series against England,” Broadsheet LLC said in the letter. “We consider that the team is, by the very nature, an asset of the defendant and that monies due to the team and assets of the team are assets of the defendant to the litigation.” 

Broadsheet hasn’t just threatened to seize the assets of the Pakistan team but also of the Pakistan High Commission building and high commissioner’s house in London as well as the Roosevelt Hotel in New York.

The relationship dates back to the year 2000 when Broadsheet was hired by Pakistan to investigate some corruption allegations against public officials, including the family of Nawaz Sharif.

Pakistan tour of England:

The entire Pakistan squad is presently in Derby where they are preparing for the forthcoming Test series against England. The first Test between the two teams is set to start on August 05 at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester.

As per the bio-secure protocols presently in place by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), none of the members of the Pakistan cricket team will be allowed to interact with anyone outside the bubble. In such a scenario, how the act of ‘seizing assets’ would even become possible, remains to be seen.