PSL delayed with immediate effect after 7 Covid-19 cases reported in competition

PSL delayed with immediate effect after 7 Covid-19 cases reported in competition

Islamabad: 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 participating sides.

 

 

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 showing symptoms”, according to the statement, which further added that they had not been part of the sides that featured in Wednesday’s PSL6 double-header.

 

A day earlier, the PCB decided to offer Sars-Coronavirus Vaccine doses to all participants of PSL 6, becoming the first cricket board to use the vaccine that produces protection against the Covid-19 virus.

 

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.

 

Earlier this week, Islamabad United’s Fawad Ahmed became the first player in the tournament to test positive. United’s match with Quetta Gladiators, scheduled to be held on March 1 was postponed as a result while other players were tested.

 

The PCB had later announced the test results of both Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United squads had returned negative.

 

However, the very next day, two more overseas cricketers and a local backroom staff member also tested positive.

 

While the PCB had not revealed the names of the three new cases — as per policy —, reliable sources identified Islamabad United all-rounder Lewis Gregory, Quetta Gladiators batsman Tom Banton and Kamran Khan, who is the fielding coach of Karachi Kings, as the three people who had contracted Covid-19.(Agencies)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.