Pakistan to host T20 cricket tournament in empty stadiums due to oil crisis

Pakistan Super League to Proceed as Scheduled with Limited Capacity

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that the upcoming Pakistan Super League will take place on March 26, despite a recent surge in oil prices. The league will be held at two venues: Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and Karachi’s stadium. The decision comes after the PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, cited a fuel shortage caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The league was initially set to be played in six cities, but it has been reduced to only two due to the crisis. The opening ceremony in Lahore has also been cancelled. Naqvi stated that the decision to hold games without crowds was made to conserve resources during the ongoing oil shortage.

The PCB will issue refunds for all sold tickets within 72 hours and compensate franchise owners for lost revenue from gate receipts. Naqvi apologized to the four cities – Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, and Peshawar – that will no longer host PSL games this season. He also consulted with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the eight franchises before finalizing the decision.

The league has already seen several foreign players withdraw due to personal reasons. The PCB will proceed as scheduled, despite these challenges.

Source: Al Jazeera