It is understood the emirate is ready for the PSL to happen on its shores as long as all involved are vaccinated
The PCB is to hold a meeting with the six PSL franchises today, during which a final decision is expected on the fate of this season’s PSL.
One of the main hurdles, ESPNcricinfo understands, had been cleared as the Abu Dhabi government has given the PCB the nod to stage the remaining 20 games of the 2021 season in the emirate. There are still, however, details to be finalised including over one of the conditions that everyone involved in the league – from players to officials to broadcast and production staff – should have been vaccinated against Covid-19.
That will represent a challenge, given that teams and broadcast crew involve people from around the world, and that vaccination campaigns are at different stages of being rolled out. Further complications stem from various incoming travel restrictions in place in the UAE for flights from several countries.
The league is due to resume less than two weeks from today, on June 1 but given that also factors in a period of quarantine both in Pakistan and Abu Dhabi, it is unlikely it will start then. Franchises and staff in Pakistan have been asked to hold off for the moment on their pre-departure plans. That routine was supposed to start today, with pre-departure hotel check-ins in Lahore and Karachi on May 20. They have been told that departure from Pakistan has been delayed.
The meeting later today is expected to discuss all possibilities around this season.
More to follow…
Umar Farooq is ESPNcricinfo’s Pakistan correspondent