Lahore and Karachi will now host 22 matches each in the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) following the PCB’s decision to play the tournament behind closed doors and limit it to two venues from six in line with the government’s austerity measures owing to the fuel crisis caused by the West Asia crisis.
There is no change to the dates of any matches, with the only change the reduction in venues. The tournament will begin as scheduled on March 26 with defending champions Lahore Qalandars hosting new franchise entrants Hyderabad Kingsmen at the Gaddafi Stadium.
“We can’t ask people to restrict their movements and then have 30,000 people in stadiums every day,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had said earlier on Sunday afternoon as he announced the change of operational plans in a press conference. “We decided that as long as this crisis is ongoing, we will not have crowds at matches. This was a difficult decision, but it needed to be made. The opening ceremony will also be cancelled.”
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The first 14 matches – until April 6 – will be played in Lahore after which the 15 games will be played in Karachi. The league will return to Lahore from April 21 as it hosts an afternoon contest on a double-header day with the night game in Karachi. The two venues will also share double-headers on 26 April 22, 23, 25 and 26.
The qualifier – originally scheduled to be staged in Rawalpindi – will be held in Karachi on April 28 and Lahore, as per the original plan, will host the two eliminators on April 21 and May 1, as well as the final on May 3.
“With the tournament temporarily shifting to a watch-from-home model, the PSL will introduce enhanced broadcast and production features aimed at delivering an even stronger viewing experience for fans across Pakistan and around the world,” a PCB media statement said. “The league remains confident that the passion of its audience, combined with innovation in coverage, will make this edition one of the most widely watched in its history.”