Pakistan Super League: Match in empty stadium, Naqvi had to apologize!

Pakistan Super League (PSL) is going to start from March 26, but to save resources like petrol amid the Gulf War, it will be played at only two venues. Meanwhile, the doors of the stadium will remain closed for spectators. This information was given by Pakistan Cricket chief Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday.

The decision has been taken after a lengthy meeting with the eight franchises and consultation with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “Pakistan Super League will start as per its schedule on March 26 because we have to maintain its credibility. There was no other time available to organize it later,” Naqvi said at a press conference in Lahore.

“I apologize to the fans of Peshawar who were going to get a chance to watch a PSL match for the first time, and I hope that they will get to watch more matches next time,” Naqvi said.

All franchises will be given financial compensation to compensate for the loss of ‘gate money’ (income from ticket sales) due to the absence of spectators.

A new PSL schedule will be announced soon, which will include Lahore and Karachi as venues. The fuel supply is being strictly controlled by the government. Due to this, Peshawar, Multan, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad were removed from the program, so that fuel consumption could be reduced and resources could be saved.

The grand opening ceremony has been canceled to save resources. Naqvi said that most of the international players are expected to reach by Monday morning to prepare for the matches.

Previous reports by TelecomAsiaSports had suggested that foreign players, especially Australian players, were facing difficulties in reaching Pakistan via the Gulf region. However, now Naqvi has presented a different view on this.

It is noteworthy that Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani and Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanaka have decided to join the IPL after signing contracts with PSL teams. In such a situation, Naqvi has warned that legal action will be taken against the foreign players who either do not attend the matches or leave their PSL contracts midway for more attractive offers of the Indian Premier League (IPL).