LAHORE: The tentative date for the resumption of the HBL-Pakistan Super League 6 season, which was halted due to Covid-19, is now June 9 or 10 instead of June 5 after five cricketers, two coaches and eight Indian broadcasters were only able to reach the United Arab Emirates on Saturday.

South Africans Faf Du Plessis, Riley Roussow, Cameron Delport and David Miller along with Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz were among the players whose flights landed at various airports on Saturday. Also arriving in Abu Dhabi were South African coaches Herschelle Gibbs and Michael Smith.

Initially 25 broadcasters from India and 27 players, coaches and broadcasters from South Africa were due to arrive in the UAE on chartered flights on May 26 with the Pakistan Cricket Board planning to start the remaining 20 matches of the PSL season from June 5.

But with both countries on the UAE’s red-list due to Covid-19, getting visas on time became a big hurdle.

More Indians and South Africans are expected to arrive in the UAE by Sunday and since they have to complete a 10-day quarantine period, the resumption of the season will not be possible by June 5.

The PCB is waiting for issuance of visas for more Pakistani players and officials, who are due to leave for the UAE via a chartered flights from Lahore and Karachi.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2021