ISLAMABAD: The remaining 20 matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Twenty20 tournament, suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, will be held in Abu Dhabi, Pakistan’s Geo News reported on Tuesday, saying the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) had given the green signal to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to host the series in the UAE.
Earlier this month, PCB said it was considering the UAE as a venue to stage the remaining 20 matches of the Pakistan Super League tournament.
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 in April 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.
“As soon as the ECB obtained clearance from the UAE authorities on holding the PSL matches in Abu Dhabi, the decision was conveyed to the PCB,” Geo News reported. “The PCB is now focusing on the operational aspect of the league, figuring out how to take the players to Abu Dhabi and will reach out to franchises to apprise them about the SOPs that they will need to abide by in the UAE.”
Arab News could not reach the PCB or ECB for comment.
UAE authorities have made it mandatory for all players and officials to undergo a 10-day quarantine, Geo News said.
“The UAE has emerged as a preferred venue for the remaining 20 matches,” PCB had said in a statement on May 7, adding that as the holiday period had already started in both the countries and the Pakistan men’s national cricket team had to travel to the United Kingdom on 23 June, the “PCB will use this time to work with the Emirates Cricket Board to check if the event can be successfully delivered within the available time.”
“While the UAE has emerged as a preferred venue, a number of challenges remain, which will be worked through over the coming days. We remain committed to doing everything possible to complete the [series],” PCB chief executive Wasim Khan had said in a statement.
ESPNCricinfo has 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 also suspended abruptly earlier this month, triggered by a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
