Published 18:32 IST, March 5th 2021
PSL 2021 team owner wants PCB to emulate BCCI, host remaining matches in UAE IPL-style
Salman Iqbal, the owner of Karachi Kings, wants the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to follow BCCI's footsteps in organising the PSL 2021 matches in the UAE.
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In a major blow to Pakistan cricket, the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2021) had to be halted midway because of the coronavirus outbreak in the participating teams. As many as seven people, including six cricketers, have tested positive for the disease and the Pakistan Cricket Board had to postpone the competition to ensure the safety of the participating teams. However, Salman Iqbal, the Karachi Kings owner, has come up with a suggestion on hosting the remaining matches in UAE.
📢 HBL PSL 6 POSTPONED
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 4, 2021
PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan, Director – Commercial and Babar Hamid, will hold a media conference at the National Stadium at 3pm to provide further updates.
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Karachi Kings owner wants PCB to take cue from BCCI
There were a number of controversies surrounding the PSL 2021. From the Alex Hales breakfast incident to players testing positive for COVID-19, the competition was in the news for all the wrong reasons. The league was ultimately suspended on Thursday after just 14 matches. While there is no clarity on the recommencement of the tournament, Salman Iqbal wants the PCB to shift the remaining matches to the UAE.
Salman Iqbal in an interview with the Khaleej Times pointed out that he had suggested that UAE is an appropriate venue to host the competition. However, he revealed that the organisers were keen to have the matches in Pakistan itself. The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League was also successfully held in the UAE last year and Iqbal feels the whole fiasco would have been avoided if they had also gone ahead with the same approach of shifting the T20 league to the UAE amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moreover, a Pakistani journalist recently revealed how PCB chief Wasim Khan was disappointed with Chris Lynn clicking a selfie with a fan at the team hotel. Khan feels that the Australian should have avoided the move considering that the number of new cases amongst the teams.
PSL postponed story
The Pakistan Super League was postponed indefinitely after three new cricketers from two different teams had tested positive for the disease, taking the total tally to seven. It is worth noting that the previous season of the T20 competition also had to be postponed before the knockout games due to the coronavirus pandemic. It remains to be seen how the PCB decides to accommodate the remaining matches in this calendar year. The PSL postponed story has grabbed headlines around the world.
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IPL 2021 news
The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League was slated to be played in India. However, according to the latest reports, the BCCI is unsure about organising the cricketing extravaganza in the country. If the conditions do not improve in the country, the board may have to move IPL 2021 out of India.
Image source: Pakistan Super League Twitter
18:32 IST, March 5th 2021