The Pakistan Super League (PSL) will relocate to the UAE due to escalating tensions between Pakistan and India. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has stated that new dates and venues for the remaining eight matches of the tenth edition will be announced soon.
On what had been a regular Thursday, a match between Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi, scheduled at Rawalpindi Stadium, was postponed. This came after an emergency meeting, prompted by a drone’s unexpected fall within the stadium compound. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met with overseas players, who predominantly favoured moving the league to the UAE.
The incident comes amidst Pakistani claims that the drone was Indian, coinciding with recent Indian military responses to alleged Pakistani provocations, linked to an earlier terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
Foreign players are reportedly en route to the UAE, where they hope to complete the league. Menghetti from the PCB indicated it would take days to finalise the new schedule. Originally, four games were set for Rawalpindi, one in Multan, and the last three in Lahore.
Historically, the UAE is a familiar territory for the PSL, hosting the league’s first two editions starting in 2016. The country also hosted sections of season six in 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The shift is expected to impact Pakistan’s international fixtures. Bangladesh’s tour, set to begin shortly after the PSL final on 18 May, hangs in balance. The PCB has yet to decide the fate of this series but remains hopeful for a resolution.
The fluid situation presents challenges for Pakistani cricket, yet the PSL’s ability to adapt and continue reinforces its resilience.
