LAHORE: After getting necessary approval and exemptions from the United Arab Emirates government, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday confirmed holding of remaining 20 Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches in Abu Dhabi.

“The PCB will also holding an online meeting with the six franchise owners to update them about the progress made as well as to finalise all details, a PCB spokesman, said.

PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said “We are delighted with this development as the remaining hurdles in the staging of the remaining HBL PSL 6 matches in Abu Dhabi have been overcome and all systems are now good to go. We are grateful to the UAE government, National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, Emirates Cricket Board and Abu Dhabi Sports Council for their support and patronage in ensuring all final obstacles were removed, which has firmly put us in a position to complete our marquee event.”

He said, “The PCB, in consultation with the team owners, will now work at pace to finalise all event-related arrangements. I take this opportunity to thank my staff for their untiring efforts and hard work that included sacrificing their Eid-ul-Fitr holidays in an effort to ensure the PCB honours its commitment to its fans to hold the remaining matches of the tournament in June.”

“The holding of the remaining matches in Abu Dhabi will allow our fans to once again follow and support their favourite players and teams through our high-quality broadcast coverage of one of the most competitive cricket leagues in the world,” Khan said.

It may be noted that the PCB and the six franchise owners held a virtual session on Wednesday wherein it was unanimously agreed to wait until the close of business on Thursday (UAE time) before a final decision on the hosting of the remaining matches is made.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021