PSL postponed after foreign player shows symptoms of coronavirus

Published March 17, 2020
Pakistan Cricket Board Chief Executive Officer Waseem Khan addresses the media on Tuesday. — DawnNewsTV
Pakistan Cricket Board Chief Executive Officer Waseem Khan addresses the media on Tuesday. — DawnNewsTV

Pakistan Cricket Board Chief Executive Officer Wasim Khan on Tuesday said that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 has been postponed indefinitely after a foreign player who had left last week displayed symptoms of the coronavirus.

He made these remarks at a press conference with other PCB officials in Lahore.

At least 14 foreign players had decided to return to their own countries after the PCB last week gave them the option to leave amid coronavirus fears.

Read: PCB decides to cut short PSL, play remaining matches behind closed doors amid COVID-19 fears

Adding that the player's name would not be revealed to maintain privacy, Khan said that players from all the teams, the broadcasters and everyone else associated with the tournament would be tested for the virus.

Responding to a question he said that the Karachi Kings team had reservations about playing in the tournament and the decision was then made after consulting all the franchises.

The PCB chief added that the semi-final and final matches would be rescheduled before the next season of the PSL.

"We have been following the government's advice [in the matter]. First, we took the decision to play matches in empty stadiums, then we gave players the option to leave, then we reduced the number of matches, we took 2-3 measures [...] but after this suspected case, we made this decsion."

Responding to a question about future cricket plans, Khan said that "nobody is playing cricket internationally [...] it is a pandemic situation. Safety comes first, cricket comes second."

A statement from the PCB said that the cricketing body would use its "reach and influence to play its part in all government’s drives and initiatives to create awareness and deal with this pandemic".

Opinion

Editorial

Digital deal
19 Jun, 2026

Digital deal

THINGS have moved rapidly where the Iran-US memorandum of understanding is concerned. While the physical document ...
Failing the public
19 Jun, 2026

Failing the public

WHETHER it is Sindh’s struggle to secure clean drinking water or Balochistan’s difficulty in improving the...
Crushed lives
19 Jun, 2026

Crushed lives

COURTS and commissions have often been up in arms over the health and ecological hazards associated with...
Words that wound
Updated 18 Jun, 2026

Words that wound

Hate speech rarely begins with physical attacks.
‘New urban province’
18 Jun, 2026

‘New urban province’

CONSIDERING the advance state of urban decay that affects Karachi, voices are often raised calling for the megacity,...
Punjab budget: mixed bag
18 Jun, 2026

Punjab budget: mixed bag

PUNJAB’S budget for FY27 is a mix of good and bad political choices, with a cash-strapped centre tightening the...