The remaining games of the 2021 Pakistani Super League have been postponed, following news on Thursday morning that three more players had tested positive for covid-19.
The decision was taken after an emergency meeting between PCB and the franchises. The three new cases brought the total positive cases in the tournament to seven, out of which six were players.
According to the PCB, the decision to postpone was taken “following a meeting with the team owners and considering the health and well-being of all participants”. The board’s immediate step is to focus on the “safe and secure passage of all participants, and arrange repeat PCR tests, vaccines and isolation facilities to the six participating sides”.
Out of the 34 matches scheduled 14 have been completed. PCB said that the three recent cases are from two different teams. They were tested on Wednesday afternoon after reporting symptoms. The board said the new cases were not from the teams that played on Wednesday’s doubleheader matches, which eliminates players from Karachi Kings, Peshawar Zalmi, Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators.
On March 1, the first case was reported by the PCB, when Islamabad’s Australian leg spinner Fawad Ahmed tested positive for the virus before the 12th match of the season. Consecutively, on the following days, PCB said that two more overseas players were tested positive along with one local support staff member, Kamran Khan of Kings. It was later revealed that even Gladiators Tom Banton was among the positive case as he posted it on Twitter.
Before the postponement was announced, the PCB was considering cancelling the Lahore leg of the season and playing all matches in Karachi. The PCB also offered every member of PSL bubble covid-19 vaccine shots if they wish to take them.
