LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is considering the United Arab Emirates as a venue to stage the remainder of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Twenty20 tournament but the country’s COVID-19 body will take a final call, the governing body said on Thursday.
The PCB’s flagship tournament was suspended after 14 games in March after seven individuals, including six players, tested positive for COVID-19.
The governing body had said last month that the PSL would resume on June 1 and the remaining 20 games would take place in Karachi’s National Stadium, with the final on June 20.
“Now, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) will announce the decision. If it decides that the league should be resumed, we will bio-secure Karachi and all matches would be played there,” a PCB spokesman said.
“If the NCOC does not give the go-ahead to PCB for holding matches in Karachi, we will consult the franchises to hold the rest of the tournament in the UAE.”
ESPNCricinfo reported that all six PSL franchises had asked the PCB to move the tournament to the UAE, which also hosted last year’s Indian Premier League (IPL).
The lucrative IPL T20 competition was suspended abruptly this week, triggered by a resurgence of the pandemic in India.
Pakistan considers holding remaining cricket super league matches in UAE
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Pakistan considers holding remaining cricket super league matches in UAE
- PSL was suspended after 14 games in March after players tested positive for COVID-19
- Pakistan Cricket Board said last month that PSL would resume on June 1 in Karachi
Pakistani national in Dubai killed by falling debris from ‘aerial interception’
- Pakistani driver killed on Saturday as debris falls on vehicle in Al Barsha area, confirms Government of Dubai Media Office
- Iran has targeted Gulf countries hosting US troops with missile, drone attacks since Middle East conflict began last week
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani national was killed this week after debris from an aerial interception fell on a vehicle in Dubai, the Government of Dubai Media Office confirmed on Sunday.
The incident took place in Dubai’s Al Barsha area, the Dubai Media Office wrote on social media platform X, without confirming the location from where the projectile was fired from.
“Authorities confirm that debris from an aerial interception fell onto a vehicle in the Al Barsha area, resulting in the death of a Pakistani driver,” the Dubai Media Office said.
This is the second Pakistani national killed in the UAE since the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. As per local media reports, a Pakistani national died in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 28 after being struck by missile fragments.
Pakistani and Nepalese nationals were among six people injured by falling debris on Thursday after the UAE’s air defense systems intercepted drones, the Abu Dhabi Media Office had confirmed in a statement.
Iran has carried out several missile and drone attacks on Gulf countries hosting American troops since Isreal and the US launched coordinated strikes against it last week. The surprise attack came after months of negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program.
Pakistan has asked its citizens in Gulf states to exercise caution, avoid travel and strictly follow official adviseries ever since tensions escalated in the region last week.
The UAE is home to over 1.5 million Pakistani expatriates, one of the largest communities of overseas Pakistanis worldwide.
Pakistan has condemned the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran but also criticized Tehran’s attacks that have targeted countries in the Gulf region, advising all parties to exercise restraint.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday apologized to Gulf neighbors for the attacks, saying Tehran would halt strikes unless attacks against Iran originate from their territories.
However, questions were raised over the apology as air defense sirens and interceptions were reported in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain later on Saturday, fueling uncertainty across the Gulf.
