Pakistan postpones its Twenty20 league indefinitely, scrapping UAE relocation plan, as tension with India escalates.The Pakistan Cricket Board has postponed its Pakistan Super League T20 cricket tournament following rising military tensions between India and Pakistan.
The PCB said it acted on advice from Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“Cricket, while being a unifying force and a source of joy, must take a respectful pause,” the PCB said in a statement on Friday evening.
The PCB had earlier confirmed that it would relocate the eight remaining PSL matches to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, citing growing concerns among overseas players and the need to prioritise their safety.
The latest announcement, however, said the PSL was being postponed and gave no indication of whether this year’s edition would resume.
The cities of Rawalpindi, Multan and Lahore had been scheduled to host the remaining PSL games.
On Thursday, an Indian drone fell inside the complex of the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium hours before the start of a PSL game in which several cricketers from New Zealand, Australia, the West Indies, South Africa and England were due to compete.
Residents gather outside the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium after a drone strike, allegedly by India, on Thursday [Sohail Shahzad/EPA]
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the interior minister in the Pakistan government, held meetings with foreign cricketers and six franchise owners of the PSL before initially saying the tournament was being moved to Dubai. Advertisement
England cricketer Sam Billings, New Zealand’s Colin Munro, South Africa …
