ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has scaled back the country’s premier Twenty20 cricket tournament, the top cricket official said in a statement on Tuesday, in the “larger national interest” due to the ongoing regional crisis, as he apologized to fans for holding matches without spectators.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi made these remarks as Pakistan prepares to host the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) from Mar. 26 under austerity measures announced earlier this month to conserve fuel amid rising global oil prices linked to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
The PCB has restricted matches to Karachi and Lahore and barred crowds as part of the plan.
“The PSL has been limited keeping in view the national interest due to the regional situation,” Naqvi said. “I sincerely apologize to cricket fans.”
Speaking at a ceremony attended by local and international players in Lahore, franchise owners and government officials, Naqvi said national priorities must come first.
“You have to put the larger interest of the country and the nation above everything else,” he said. “I am confident that today’s sacrifice will lead to greater ease tomorrow.”
The PCB chief said the PSL had become a leading international brand and pledged to take it forward despite current constraints.
The event also featured the unveiling of the PSL 11 trophy and the launch of the tournament’s official anthem, with participation from federal ministers, provincial leaders and several international cricketers.
