The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has confirmed it will resume play on June 1 after the Twenty20 cricket tournament was postponed in March following a COVID-19 outbreak.
The tournament, which was previously taking place across Karachi and Lahore, began on February 20 and had been due to run until March 22. It was halted on March 4 after seven cases of the virus were reported.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) yesterday (Sunday) announced that the remaining 20 matches will all take place at the 34,228-capacity National Stadium in Karachi, with the final game to take place on June 20.
Prior to the suspension, 14 of the scheduled 34 matches had been completed.
Following the postponement in March, the PCB initially proposed a June restart before commissioning an independent report into how COVID-19 protocols were breached.
The PCB has finalised plans, stating: “The board of governors endorsed all recommendations of the fact-finding panel, including robust and stringent implementation of the protocols, as well as maintaining a zero-tolerance approach towards all those who breach the COVID-19 standard operating procedures.”
The teams will be required to undertake a mandatory seven-day quarantine period from May 22 ahead of the first game between Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United.
In February, the PSL got underway with stadiums operating at 20 per cent capacity, meaning that around 7,500 ticketed spectators were allowed access to Karachi’s National Stadium per match day and around 5,500 were permitted at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. The PCB later announced that crowds of up to 50 per cent capacity would be permitted in Karachi.
Image: Pakistan Cricket Board
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