Javed Miandad slams PCB over PSL: 'Not right time to play cricket, focus on saving lives'

Pakistan's former captain and batting great, Javed Miandad, has advised the PCB against holding the PSL's remaining matches. As reported by PTI, Javed Miandad lashed out at the Pakistan Cricket Board's idea to shift the Pakistan Super League event in the UAE. Recently it was reported that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was in talks with the Emirates Cricket Board to seek permission from the UAE government to hold the remaining 20 matches of the PSL in the UAE

"I think this is not the right time to be playing cricket when all the focus is on saving lives from this dreaded virus," Miandad told a cricket website adding "This is not the time to play cricket, it is the time to save lives. In these times of crisis, we should be more focused on saving lives rather than playing cricket,"said  Javed Miandad to a cricket website. 

"The whole world has been affected by the coronavirus. India, where the world cup was supposed to take place, is also severely affected by the epidemic," added Miandad.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was in talks with the Emirates Cricket Board to seek permission from the UAE government to hold the remaining 20 matches of the PSL in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from June 1. "The PCB was expecting things to be finalised in next 24 hours due to the Eid holidays in both countries but now with this ban imposed by the UAE government till May 12, the only option available to the PCB is to hold the matches in Karachi," a source told PTI on Monday.

He said the PCB was reluctant to have the matches in Karachi or anywhere in Pakistan given the experience of last March when the league had to be postponed due to a sudden surge in COVID cases among players and officials. A board official has also said that the National Command and Operations Authority, which oversees the COVID-19 situation in Pakistan, had also advised the PCB against holding the matches in Karachi.

Now in a major turn of events, the chances of PSL's sixth edition resuming in the United Arab Emirates in June diminished after the UAE government announced a ban on travellers from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The travel ban will come into effect from Wednesday.

(Story Inputs: PTI)

(Image Credits: Javed Miandad Facebook/@THEREALPCBMEDIA/@THEPSLT20/Twitter)