COVID outbreak: PSL 2020 to end four days ahead of schedule

The Pakistan Super League 2020 will come to an end four days ahead of scheduled time on account of Coronavirus outbreak.

The Pakistan Cricket Board, in a statement, said Lahore will now host both semifinal matches next Tuesday and the final on Wednesday. The top team will play against No. 4 in the first match while the second will be played between the No. 2 and No. 3 teams.

The rest of the four league games will go ahead as per scheduled time frame in Lahore and Karachi.

PCB chief executive Wasim Khan said, “It is important to emphasize and clarify that the main concern of many of the players who have chosen to return home revolves around avoiding a potential situation where they might become stranded either due to flight cancellations or border closures in their own countries.”

“We will continue to assess and review the situation and will not hesitate to make what we believe are the right decisions for everyone involved,” he said.

Earlier ten foreign players withdrew from the event including Alex Hales, Tymal Mills, Jason Roy, James Vince, Tom Banton, Liam Dawson, Lewis Gregory, Liam Livingstone, Carlos Brathwaite, Rilee Rossouw.

Among the franchise teams, Peshawar Zalmi are the most affected one as five of their foreign recruits Brathwaite, Dawson, Gregory, Livingstone and Bantonwithdrew from the competition.

“The PCB is in close contact with the Punjab government and, as is always the case, it will receive guidance from them in regard to allowing spectators to watch the last four matches at the Gaddafi Stadium,” the cricket board said in the statement.