The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday postponed their premier T20 event- the Pakistan Super League, amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. The PSL had entered the knockout stages and the two semi-final matches were due to be played on Tuesday in Lahore.
PSL had seen numerous withdrawals by foreign players and most had left the event to return home given the pandemic that has claimed more than 7,000 lives internationally.
The PCB CEO expressed confidence they would find time to complete the league, saying they were already looking at various options. “We will be looking at other windows and we hope to play the event at a later time,” Wasim Khan said. “What’s taking place right now is that we are carefully and slowly exiting, exiting players from our environment so that we can safely get them out and they can start to travel to wherever they need to travel in terms of moving forward. But we want to continue and finish the PSL.”
“Seven players contracted the [Covid-19] virus since the 27th of February. Once the players become affected, it becomes an issue. The situation was such that it is now outside ours and others’ reasonable control. When players are affected, and players start to lose confidence, then it all comes apart. The bio-secure bubble is all about trust,” Wasim Khan added.
Pakistan Super League To Start Their Remaining Matches In May 2021
Pakistan Super League might end up being played as soon as May this year, setting up a potential direct clash with the latter stages of the Indian Premier League.
PSL also resumes from May then players like Imran Tahir, Chris Gayle, Chris Lynn, Ben Cutting, Mohammad Nabi, Faf du Plessis will be in big trouble, then they have to choose a tournament for playing, either PSL or IPL.
The PCB had to break the previous edition of the tournament into two blocks as well. PSL 2020 was suspended in March, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the remaining matches, which were knockouts, were rescheduled to November last year with Karachi Kings crowned as champions.
