The Pakistan Super League (PSL) will proceed without spectators and be limited to Karachi and Lahore due to regional tensions and government austerity measures, impacting fans and finances.
Key Points
- The Pakistan Super League will proceed as scheduled from March 26th, but without spectators due to regional tensions.
- PSL also cancelled its opening ceremony in Lahore.
- PSL will be restricted to two venues: Karachi and Lahore.
The initial matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be played behind closed doors in Lahore and Karachi, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on Sunday, citing a fuel shortage caused by the conflict in the Middle East.
The franchise-based T20 league, set to kick off on Thursday, also cancelled its opening ceremony in Lahore as it scaled back from six venues to two.
"Fans will be able to receive refunds for tickets and we apologise to them for the inconvenience... we pray that the situation in the region returns to normal soon," Naqvi, who is also Pakistan's interior minister, told a press conference.
'Hosting the PSL is essential'
Naqvi said the decision was taken after a meeting with the league's franchises.
"The Prime Minister (Shehbaz Sharif) requested all of Pakistan to restrict their movements because of the fuel crisis. We closed schools and instituted work from home and increased the number of Eid holidays. We don't know how long this war will last," Naqvi said.
"But we can't ask people to restrict their movements and then have 30,000 people in stadiums every day. We decided that as long as this crisis is ongoing, we will not have crowds at matches."
Naqvi said the league would streamline its operations to minimise team movement.
"We don’t know how long the current situation will persist, but hosting the PSL is essential. It's an international brand, and foreign players are involved... if we had postponed the PSL, there would be no window later to hold it," he added.
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