PSL 2021: 233 members stuck in Lahore and Karachi hotels, PCB still awaits landing permits from UAE government

The fate of the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is still hanging in balance. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had planned to resume the tournament on June 5 in Abu Dhabi after getting the required exemptions from the UAE government. Accordingly, they directed all the players, support staff and broadcasting members to assemble at hotels in Karachi and Lahore.

The contingent was supposed to leave for Abu Dhabi earlier this week. However, all of them are stuck at the moment and astonishingly, their departure has been delayed thrice in the last 36 hours. With a mandatory quarantine of around a week or so, the window is getting significantly shortened for PCB to complete PSL now.

ESPNCricinfo has reported that a massive contingent of 233 members including PCB officials are currently stuck in the hotels itself. According to the earlier plan, they were supposed to leave on May 25. The remaining 20 matches of the PSL were supposed to be played from June 5 to June 20. But it doesn’t seem that the tournament will resume on time now.

The reports also state that the PCB has called an urgent meeting among its officials and franchises which gives an indication that a decision might be taken soon. Moreover, sources also state that the Indian production crew is yet to get the permission to land in the UAE and the Pakistan board is working on it.

PCB held replacement player draft last week

Meanwhile, PCB also held replacement player draft last week while also allowing the franchises to pick an extra overseas player in their squad. The board also tightened the COVID protocols to avoid any mishap like last time. Accordingly, the Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah was told to go home after he presented an old COVID negative while checking into the hotel.

To add to it, the Quetta Gladiators’ cricketer Anwar Ali also tested positive who has been isolated from others and won’t be travelling to Abu Dhabi. Having not reached Abu Dhabi yet, PCB will have to tweak its schedule once again it seems to organise the matches within the available window.