Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday postponed the last three matches of HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 with immediate effect and the two semi-finals and the final will be rescheduled for a later date amid COVID-19 fears.
Pakistan Cricket Board Chief Executive Officer Wasim Khan at a news conference with other PCB officials in Lahore said the PSL-2020 has been postponed indefinitely after a foreign player who had left last week displayed symptoms of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
It may be noted that around 14 foreign players had decided to return to their home countries after the PCB last week gave them the option to leave amid coronavirus fears.
Khan said that players from all the teams, the broadcasters and everyone else associated with the tournament would be tested for the virus; however, he added that the player's name would not be revealed to maintain privacy.
To a question, Khan said that the Karachi Kings team had reservations about playing in the tournament and the decision was then made after consulting all the franchises. "The semi-finals and final matches would be rescheduled before the next season of the PSL," he said, adding: "We have been following the government's advice. First, we took the decision to play matches in empty stadiums, then we gave players the option to leave, then we reduced the number of matches, we took 2-3 measures but after the suspected case, we made this decision."
About future cricket plans, Khan said: "Nobody is playing cricket internationally; it is a pandemic situation. Safety comes first, cricket comes second."
Wasim Khan said: "This is absolutely the right thing to do after an overseas player, who will be tested in his country shortly, has shown symptoms of COVID-19; the PCB has also facilitated the process of carrying out immediate tests of all those who were involved with the HBL Pakistan Super League."
He said, "The PCB believes it has made the right decisions in the lead up to the postponement of the tournament that included consulting the team owners, holding the matches behind closed doors, allowing the players the option to withdraw from the tournament, rescheduling of the matches and reducing the number of event days."
Khan said, "The PCB hopes and prays that normalcy returns quickly to our society so that everyone can return to a healthy and routine lifestyle and we can bring back cricket to the fans."
Moreover, English players Alex Hales in his message said: "Like many other overseas players, I reluctantly left the PSL early because, with COVID-19 reaching global pandemic status, I felt it was more important to be with my family rather than face a period of lockdown thousands of miles from home."
He said, "I returned to the UK in the early hours of Saturday morning feeling perfectly fit and healthy and with absolutely no symptoms of the virus. However, I awoke early on Sunday morning having developed a fever and followed the government's advice of self-isolation, a process I am obviously still following having developed a dry and persistent cough. At this stage, it has not been possible to be tested although I am hopeful that might be the case later today so that I can get absolute confirmation of my current health status."
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