From Abid Usman
Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board announced on Thursday that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 6 has been delayed “with immediate effect” after seven people participating in the tournament tested positive for Covid-19.
The PCB said the decision had been taken out of consideration for the health and wellbeing of all participants in the tournament.
“Following a meeting with the team owners and considering the health and wellbeing of all participants is paramount, the Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to postpone the HBL Pakistan Super League 6 with immediate effect. The decision was made after seven cases were reported in the competition, which had started on 20 February,” the cricket body said in a press release.
The PCB will concentrate on “safe and secure passage” for the participants and is set to arrange repeat PCR tests, vaccines, and isolation facilities for the six franchises. PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan and Commercial Director Babar Hamid will hold a press conference to give more details at 3pm, the press release added. The PCB confirmed earlier in the day that three additional players from two different teams had tested positive for the coronavirus, adding they will now undergo self-isolation for 10 days.
The players had been tested in the afternoon after they showed symptoms, according to the statement. They had not been part of the sides that played in yesterday’s PSL 6 double-header that featured Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators vs Multan Sultans. A day earlier, the PCB decided to offer Sars-coronavirus vaccine doses to all participants of PSL 6, becoming the first cricket board to do so. The decision was made in the line with the PCB’s duty of care policy and to ensure all participants of the league remain safe and healthy during the event, which was set to conclude on March 22.
