IPL suspension makes PSL 2021 franchises demand PCB to hold tournament in UAE

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021 is all set to resume its matches from June 2, 2021, in Karachi. The players arriving for the league will have to follow a 7-day quarantine before entering the bio-bubble and therefore all the teams have to assemble by May 23. However, seeing the number of increasing cases in Pakistan, the franchises of the PSL want the PCB to resume the remaining matches of the tournament in the UAE.

After IPL suspension, PSL teams demand a shift of venue

The Indian Premier League was indefinitely postponed by the BCCI on Tuesday as people inside the bio-bubble started testing positive. The PSL franchises have the same concern as Pakistan is witnessing 3377 new cases as of May 3 with a weekly average of 4655 cases. All the 6 franchises of the league wrote a letter to the PCB, requesting to change the venue to UAE. The board has considered the request and is currently monitoring the situation. It could also probably be due to the fact that Andre Russell and Shakib al Hasan, who are in India at the moment stranded due to the IPL suspension, will be coming from the country with the most coronavirus cases in the world.

PSL suspended due to Covid-19 scare

Earlier in March, the Pakistan Super League 2021 was suspended after completing 14 matches since 7 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the bio-bubbles of different teams. The PSL was suspended after March 4 as players starting testing positive for Covid-19 and the league had to come up with a decision for the safety of all involved. The PCB took a decision to postpone the PSL after 7 people involved in the league tested positive.

Andre Russell and Shakib al Hasan picked in PSL 2021 draft

Due to the suspension of the league, a majority of international players couldn’t come back due to their commitment to other leagues, particularly the IPL 2021 and their national duties. Considering this scenario, the PSL held a replacement draft where 6 teams got a chance to select from 135 international players. Two of the most important all-rounders in the KKR team 2021, Andre Russell and Shakib al Hasan got picked up by Quetta Gladiators and Lahore Qalandars in the PSL 2021 draft.

IPL latest news

As per IPL latest news, trouble started mounting when Match 30 between the KKR and RCB got postponed on Monday after 2 of the KKR players, Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier tested positive. Later, 3 people in the CSK team including CEO Kasi Viswanathan and bowling coach L. Balaji also tested positive. As KKR played their previous match with Delhi Capitals, the whole Delhi Capitals team had to undergo quarantine. The decision for IPL suspension came to light after SRH player Wriddhiman Saha IPL test report came positive along with Amit Mishra from Delhi Capitals which caused the whole SRH team to go into quarantine. 

Image Source: AP