Lahore to host remaining PSL 2021 matches before June: report

• Lahore has been chosen as the venue for the remainder of the fixtures of Pakistan Super League (PSL).
• The final decision regarding the matter will be taken in the next meeting which is going to be held in the coming days.
• The Punjab government has okayed the proposal to host the matches.

LAHORE: With the majority of the franchises agreeing to play in Lahore, the city has been chosen as the venue for the remainder of the fixtures of Pakistan Super League (PSL), The News reported Wednesday quoting an unnamed PCB official.

In a virtual meeting of the franchise owners and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials with chairman Ehsan Mani in the chair, the owners expressed their concerns on the postponement of PSL matches after seven coronavirus cases emerged among the players and staff members.

“Five out of the six franchises urged the PCB to shift the remaining matches of the PSL 2021 to Lahore,” said the official.

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The final decision regarding the matter will be taken in the next meeting which is going to be held in the coming days.

Lahore was originally scheduled to host 14 of the 34 matches of the PSL 2021 from March 10 onwards, which included the final as well.

The Punjab government has okayed the proposal to host the matches.

Heaps of complaints

In the meeting, the PSL franchise owners lodged a heap of complaints, saying they were not involved in the planning of the league.

In the virtual meeting, Mani, Chief Executive Wasim Khan, COO Salman Naseer, Director Commercial Babar Hamid, and franchise owners came face to face for the first time since the PSL was called off on March 3.

After they lodged a number of complaints, the franchises also demanded that they should be taken into confidence over the bio-secure bubble.

Whether or not the fans will be there was not discussed.

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The cricket board is to complete the sixth edition by June because the national team is to undertake an ODI and T20I tour to England and from there it will fly to West Indies.

On their return, Pakistan will host England and New Zealand in September. So the conduct of the PSL before their travel to England is necessary.

Chairman Ehsan Mani assured the franchise owners that there will be nothing to complain about in future

The official said there was also a possibility of the PSL resuming later this month in case of postponement of the tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa.