Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar known as Rawalpindi Express reckons that the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Pakistan Super League (PSL) shouldn’t take place amidst the COVID-19.
The 2021 PSL started in February but after 14 matches, the tournament was paused. it had to be after members of the franchises tested positive from the COVID-19 virus. However, the tournament is set to resume again on June 1 after the completion of the IPL in India on May 30.
Shoaib Akhtar Has Urged Indian and Pakistan Board Of Cricket To Stop Their Respective Leagues
Recently, the former Pakistani speedster shared a heartfelt video where he has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as well as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to rethink their plans and not go ahead with IPL 2021 and PSL 6’s resumption, respectively.
Akhtar made the request to both the cricketing boards and shared a video on his Youtube channel, citing fear due to the second wave of the novel coronavirus. India is registering about 3.5 lakhs cases every day which is 2000 deaths every day on average. On the other hand, Pakistan is also reeling severely under the Covid-19 threat.
Akhtar told on his YouTube channel, “India is facing a devastating situation. They need to stop the IPL if it can’t continue without strict SOPs in place but otherwise, considering that India is burning, it needs to be postponed. I’m not saying this because PSL was postponed. I also think PSL shouldn’t take place in June,” Akhtar said.
“IPL is not important and the money spent on it can be better used to buy oxygen tanks. That can save people from dying. We don’t need cricket, heroes and entertainment at the moment. We want to save lives in India and Pakistan. I’m using these strong words because human lives are at stake,” he stated.
“Pakistan is right on the edge, there is only 10 per cent oxygen capacity left. People are not following SOPs. I request the government to enforce curfew for the last 10-15 days [of Ramadan]. There is no need to go out for Eid shopping. People need to very careful and take care of themselves,” Akhtar added.
Hospitals across India are turning patients away due to a lack of beds and oxygen. In India, 192311 people lost their lives with the number of confirmed active cases at 795627. In Pakistan, the tally has reached 795627 with the death tolls going up to 17117. For few people, IPL is a blessing as it is helping the Indians to stay home during these tough times. IPL tournament will continue till 29th May.
