PSL relocated to UAE amid rising India-Pakistan tensions
DUBAI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that the remainder of the Pakistan Super League’s tenth edition will be relocated to the United Arab Emirates due to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. The league, which has eight matches left this season, was originally scheduled to continue in Rawalpindi, Multan, and Lahore, but an emergency meeting led to the decision to move it abroad.
This move follows a disturbing incident on Thursday when a drone, reportedly from India, fell within the Rawalpindi Stadium complex ahead of a scheduled match between Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi. That game was postponed, and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi consulted overseas players, most of whom supported relocating the league for safety reasons.
The Indian government claimed the drones were in response to Pakistan’s alleged attempts to target Indian military sites, following missile strikes it carried out in retaliation for the April terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir.
While the exact dates and venues in the UAE are yet to be confirmed, this isn’t the first time the PSL will be hosted there. The tournament began in the UAE in 2016 and has previously been relocated due to security concerns and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The PSL’s rescheduling could also affect Pakistan’s upcoming international commitments, including a five-match T20I series against Bangladesh set to begin on May 25 in Faisalabad. The PCB has not yet confirmed if that series will go ahead as planned.
