LAHORE (Kashmir English): Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday announced that the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL 11) will be held in only two venues without spectators as part of the government’s austerity measures amid escalating regional crisis.
Addressing the press conference along with the PSL CEO, Salman Naseer, Naqvi said that the opening ceremony of the marquee event has also been canceled to further streamline operations, along with the rescheduling of the matches.
He said that the much-awaited PSL matches will be held at two venues, Karachi and Lahore, with initial matches behind closed doors, adding that the decision aims to reduce public movement.
Addressing the ticket refund issues, Naqvi added that fans who have already purchased the tickets will be able to receive refunds. “Fans will be able to receive refunds for tickets, and we apologise to them for the inconvenience.”
He also noted logistical changes for staff, adding that full-time PCB staff will not be able to attend the PSL, but part-time staff will be able to work with the teams.”
Naqvi said the decisions were made following a joint meeting with PSL franchise owners and discussions with the Prime Minister and PCB’s Patron-in-Chief, Shehbaz Sharif.
PSL postponed?
The cricket board chief further stated that we can’t postpone the PSL, as it is an international brand and foreign players are involved, so it will start from March 26 as per the schedule; however, the chairman said that a new schedule will be issued soon.
“If we had postponed the PSL, there would be no window later to hold it. We have prepared a new schedule that minimises team movements,” he said. The chairman added that we don’t know how long the current situation [Iran-Israel-US war] will persist, but hosting the PSL is essential.
Addressing security concerns, Naqvi said there is no security issue and that all relevant institutions are on high alert. He praised intelligence agencies, stating that potential threats were neutralised in advance.
“We are proud of our intelligence agencies for preventing incidents before they could occur,” he said, adding that actions were taken to ensure that planned disruptions did not materialise.
