PSL 2020 in trouble? Franchises drag Pakistan Cricket Board to court over financial model

Pakistan was set to host the entirety of the Pakistan Super League 2020 (PSL 2020) season earlier this year. However, the ongoing coronavirus crisis forced a delay just before the playoffs stage. The occasion, nonetheless, was a remarkable one for the Pakistan Cricket Board as it became the first PSL season ever to be entirely held in its home country, considering the Pakistan Cricket Board’s recent announcement of hosting the remaining matches in the country itself in November later this year. While the return of PSL to Pakistan was dubbed as a means to solve the financial dilemmas of all PSL 2020 franchises, some of the troubles seem to persist.

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PSL 2020 franchises unhappy with franchise model, drag Pakistan Cricket Board to court

According to a report by ESPNCricinfo, all PSL 2020 franchises have filed a petition in the Lahore High Court. As reported in August, the PSL 2020 franchises are currently “unhappy” with the Pakistan Cricket Board over the franchise model of the tournament. The qualm is that the franchise model in PSL enables the Pakistan Cricket Board to get richer while franchises incur losses each season. Reports within the Pakistani media indicate that the board is surprised by the decision of the PSL 2020 franchises, even though they have been previously invited by franchise owners for discussions.

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PSL 2020 updates: PSL postponed

With the PSL postponed by the Pakistan Cricket Board, the board has now come up with the new dates for the tournament. A bio-secure bubble will be created for all the stakeholders to ensure smooth operations of the remaining four fixtures. As per PSL 2020 results so far, the top teams that have reached the playoffs are Multan Sultans, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi.

The remaining four matches of PSL 2020 will take place at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore between November 14 and 17 as per Pakistan Cricket Board’s press release. According to the press release, the Qualifier and Eliminator 1 will be a double-header, whereas Eliminator 2 is scheduled to be played the following day. The organizers of the PSL 2020 were also contemplating conducting the remaining 4 matches in the UAE, much like the ongoing Dream11 Indian Premier League 2020 (IPL 2020) season. However, they eventually ended up scheduling it in Pakistan itself.

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Image source: PSL 2020 Twitter