Cricket: Pakistan Six Team Super League, Karachi, Lahore | Cricket news

Pakistan’s cricket board says robust COVID-19 protocols are in place for a month-long domestic Twenty20 competition.

According to the Pakistan Cricket Board, robust COVID-19 health and safety protocols are in place at the Pakistan Super League, a month-long domestic Twenty20 competition in Karachi and Lahore, and several foreign cricketers will participate in the six-team event.

In today’s environment, all international sporting events are advancing as there is more awareness and knowledge of the pandemic, PCB chairman Ramiz Raja told the Associated Press.

Karachi will host the first leg of the tournament, which starts on Thursday before the league moves to Lahore on February 10th. Lahore will also host the playoffs and finals on February 27th.

Huge score and racket with pictures of cricketers near Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore [K M Chaudary/AP]

Last year, the PSL was postponed in March after a six-player COVID-19 test was positive in a biosafety bubble, and the league moved to Abu Dhabi in June.

PCB has hired the same company for its seventh tent event, which successfully created biosecurity arrangements in Abu Dhabi last year.

Although the PCB delivered 267 matches in 10 domestic events in 2021, it doesn’t take anything for granted, Raja said. We have designed and implemented robust health and safety protocols for the well-being of all (PSL) participants.

The virus has sparked concern even before the first match between the defending championship Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings begins at the National Stadium on Thursday.

At least three players, including Peshawar Zalmis percussionist Kamran Akmal and five support staff members, were positive last Saturday as teams began to gather in Karachi.

The Technical Committee for Tournaments has allowed Peshawar to replace Pakistan’s international Imam-ul-Haqin in place of Akmal.

The spike in positive COVID-19 cases in Karachi forced authorities to impose closures in high-risk areas.

The government had originally allowed PSL’s full audience, but due to the peak of positive cases, the stadiums now only allowed 25 percent capacity, about 8,000 fans.

Pakistan has reported 1,381,152 coronavirus infections and 29,122 deaths since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

Cricketers on display outside Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore [K M Chaudary/AP]

Unlike the previous two seasons, when the PSL was played in two parts, the PCB has no plans to postpone or cancel the event this year if a COVID-19 epidemic occurs among players. The league is scheduled to restart after a week’s break by resetting the bio bubble from scratch.

Although there are 20 players on each of the six teams, in the event of a possible epidemic, matches can continue if there are 13 players on each side.

Despite the threat of a coronavirus surrounding the PSL, Raja sees the presence of foreign players as a positive aspect for Pakistan, which is hosting four major countries this year, including Australia for the first time since 1998.

Johnson Charles from the West Indies, New Zealand’s Colin Munro, Rilee Rossouw from South Africa and Chris Jordan and Alex Hales from England are foreign cricketers playing in the PSL.

The PSL has seen several Pakistani cricketers rise internationally over the years, including bowlers such as Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali and Shahnawaz Dahani. And Raja sees the level of stiff competition between the six franchisees growing.

PSL has strengthened its reputation and profile as one of the most competitive and challenging leagues, making it exciting to follow locally and internationally, he said.

Pakistan won three major ICC awards last week when Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were voted ODI and T20 cricketers of the year 2021, and Shaheen Afridi won the prestigious Sir Garfield Award for Cricket Player of the Year.

All three lead their teams in the PSL as Babari captain Karachi Kings, with Rizwan defending the championship by leading Multan, while Shaheen has been named skipper of Lahore Qalandars.

Islamabad Unitedia is led by Shadab Khan and Quetta Gladiators and the legendary Shahid Afridi among the players is former Pakistani skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed.