The Pakistan Super League (PSL) that starts from Thursday has been making the headlines for all the wrong reasons. First, came the news that the T20 league will be organised behind closed doors due to the fuel crisis amid the ongoing West Asia conflict. Then, confusion reigned over the Pakistan Cricket Board’s policy on its employees, including former skipper and selector Sarfaraz Ahmed and women’s team mentor Wahab Riaz, working for franchises in the Pakistan Super League.
Now, in the pre-tournament captains’ press conference, Karachi Kings captain David Warner was clearly irritated with fellow skippers. The incident happened as Warner was speaking on his team’s chances. As he was speaking, Marnus Labuschagne (Hyderabad Kingsmen), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Lahore Qalandars), Mohammad Rizwan (Rawalpindi), and Saud Shakeel (Quetta Gladiators) were discussing something else and laughing.
Warner stopped his answer and said: “What’s wrong? Sorry gentlemen, we have got school kids here.”
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, has stated that the country’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has requested all of Pakistan to “restrict their movements because of the fuel crisis,” according to ESPNcricinfo.
The tournament has also been reduced from six venues to just two, with all matches now scheduled in Lahore and Karachi. Additionally, the opening ceremony in Lahore has also been called off.
The PSL is set to begin on 26 March, with the final on 3 May.
Naqvi stated that, due to the fuel crisis, the Prime Minister has urged people to limit movement, with measures like school closures, work-from-home arrangements, and extended Eid holidays, while the duration of the ongoing war remains uncertain.
“The Prime Minister requested all of Pakistan to restrict their movements because of the fuel crisis. We closed schools and instituted work from home and increased the number of Eid holidays. We don’t know how long this war will last,” Naqvi said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo