Remaining PSL 6 matches may be held in Karachi in June: PCB

LAHORE, MAR 11: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), in a meeting with the six franchises of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on Thursday, decided to aim for holding the 20 remaining matches of PSL 6 in Karachi in June of this year.

In a statement, the PCB said the decision was unanimously agreed upon by the franchises and the cricket body "after taking into consideration all factors relating to event organisation".

It said that the month of June had "emerged as the most preferred and practical window" because the national team had commitments in March/April and late August/September.

The tournament was postponed midway earlier this month after seven people participating in PSL 6 tested positive for Covid-19.

At the time, the PCB had said the decision had been taken out of consideration for the health and well-being of all participants in the tournament.

While the PCB had suggested the windows of May, June and September, the franchises were interested in holding the games during March-April or June, Dawn reported earlier.

In its statement today, the PCB said "the remaining 20 matches in June are now being planned following the men's national cricket team's return from Zimbabwe on May 13 and before their departure for England on June 26".

"The PCB management will now look into the operational and logistical challenges and revert to the franchise owners and stakeholders," it added.

Meanwhile, Pakistan on Thursday (today) reported more than 2,000 virus cases for the first time since January amid fears of a potential third wave of the novel coronavirus in the country.

According to official data, Pakistan reported 2,258 cases in the last 24 hours, marking the first time the country has reported over 2,000 infections since January 29, when 2,186 cases were recorded.

An NCOC (National Command and Operation Centre) press release stated that 42,164 tests were conducted on March 10, which translates into a positivity rate of 5.3 per cent, while the total number of active cases in the country is 17,627 as of March 11.

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

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