The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) will go ahead as per schedule amid false reports that the league could be postponed for a few days due to an outbreak of COVID-19 in the Islamabad United camp. It also said that the stadiums will see 50 percent crowds until March 16.
Director Media and Communications at PCB Samiul Hasan Burney announced the news at a press conference and revealed that three out of the 244 PCR tests conducted returned positive.
244 PCR tests conducted, three tests positive, all three isolated.
Two of the three infected personnel were foreign players, including Islamabad United’s Fawad Ahmed, whose positive test was made public on Monday and led to the rescheduling of Islamabad, Quetta fixture.
“We conducted 244 PCR tests, in addition to the rapid tests conducted,” said Burney. “Of the 244 tests, three have come back positive. Two foreign players and one support staff have tested positive.”
While the identity of the other foreign player has not yet been disclosed, journalist Abdul Ghaffar has said that the third person is a member of the support staff.
BREAKING NEWS: QGvIU will play as per schedule, PCB
Meanwhile, sports journalists and analysts are urging the board and public not to panic, highlighting that such incidents are common in events of such scale.
Player/official testing positive has been a routine in international events… Australian open tennis, English premier league, German league.. so nothing to worry… @OfficialPSL will go on… things will be normal …
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading voice and expert on Covid, said last year – while talking about NFL – that if there is one positive case in a sporting event then you can get away with it and such a situation is manageable. No need to create panic.
Exactly. Anyone who follows the ATP/WTA Tours would know how common it has been for players to test positive before and during tournaments ever since the Tour has resumed. It’s going to be normal now and should be treated as such. https://t.co/G2IObmxwC9
PSL is well and truly alive amidst all the rumors.. so much so for the detractors.. In heat of selling your own agendas you almost played at the cost of our league.. One of the lowest moments we could witness. https://t.co/Q9CVCMb62g
1/3 No need to panic about 3 players & 1 from the management being Covid 19 +. Make stringent protocols, ensure the biosecure bubble is impenetrable & stop being in self denial. Proper quarantine (i.e. number of days) & minor rescheduling of the matches may well be required.
3/3 it’s a global pandemic therefore such happenings are common. Instead of blame games let’s get the act together & deliver. A word of caution for those defending the lapses. It’s not about criticism it about preserving health of the players & also integrity of PSL.
Lahore Qalandars beat Karachi Kings at the 11th match of Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) sixth edition on Sunday in National Stadium Karachi.
Kings’ Sharjeel Khan (64 off 39 balls) and Mohammad Nabi (57 off 35 balls) were able to steer the side to the handsome total, after an early fall of wickets in powerplay.
However, the Qalandars lost two early wickets but Fakhar Zaman took the charge to sail the boat of the side to victory with his unbeaten 83 runs off 54 balls. Ben Dunk also scored a much need half century, scoring 57 off 43 balls.
Fakhar got dismissed by Daniel Christian which ended in a blessing in disguise and David Wiese blasted 31 runs off just 9 balls to guide his team to victory.
Kings were pretty confident as a day before they achieved a remarkable win over Multan Sultans when they convincingly chased 198 with seven balls to spare and ended up with high confidence.
The Qalandars’ performance, today, however, showed that in the battle of the nerves, they can easily whip any opponent, beating Kings by six wickets.
West Indian Cricketer Chris Gayle, renowned for his jolly and fun-loving personality, recently took the ‘Shalwar Challenge’ in a video shared by the official accounts of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Earlier, the 41-year-old cricketer who was excited to be in Pakistan for the first time in 15 years, said that he’s eager to score runs for his new PSL franchise, Quetta Gladiators, and show the fans what he is and what they missed in all these years. After scoring 68 runs off just 44 deliveries against Lahore Qalandars, he also treated audiences to his googly dance.
Later Quetta Gladiators also shared Gayle’s famous googly dance on their social media platforms.
Audiences have often witnessed batsmen celebrating a failed DRS call against them after surviving a loud shout, or even the fielding side. But during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021 match between Karachi Kings (KK) and Islamabad United (IU) on February 24, it was the umpire who surprised everyone with a mini celebration.
Pakistan’s renowned umpire Aleem Dar was delighted after his call for not-out remained unchanged despite it being referred to the third umpire. It was the first delivery of the last over in United’s innings when they scored the remaining one run to chase down 197 runs.
Kings’ bowler Waqas Maqsood bowled a yorker as batsman Asif Ali tried to get the final run for the victory. The game was done and dusted right there but Karachi decided to go for a DRS thinking they might get the batsman out LBW.
Replay showed there was a thick inside edge and also the ball had hit the boot well outside off; ruling out the possibility of a dismissal. The on-field umpire Dar was happy after confirmation from the third umpire and celebrated by pumping his fist before signalling the failed DRS. It was a win for Islamabad by 5 wickets.
Later netizens picked up on the celebration and expressed happiness over Dar’s little jubilation move.
Expression to know that his was the right decision Aleem Dar, thy name of precision and Professionalism as “ Umpire “ in history of Cricket. https://t.co/dezWsShuIf
Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by five wickets despite Sharjeel Khan’s classic ton.
After scoring 197-run score Karachi Kings were the favorites but the chasing team defeated kings with five balls in hand.
Babar Azam and Sharjeel’s 176-run partnership went all in vain. While the most expensive over of PSL history, bowled by Aamer Yamin, whose seven-ball third over was bled for 29 runs by Alex Hales.
Sharjeel, after being dropped by Hales, the lefty power hitter made capital city bowlers pay with a 59-ball 105 laced with nine 4s and eight sixes.
That over turned the tables and later with good partnership between Hussain Tallat (42) and Iftikhar Ahmed (49) helped the team to grasp the victory. While Asif cruised the Uniteds to victory with a staggering 21-run score on just nine balls.
Peshawar Zalmi has chased down 194 runs with an over to spare, beating Multan Sultans with six wickets in the fifth fixture of Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) sixth edition at the city’s National Stadium.
After putting 193-4 on the board, thanks to James Vince’s 84 and Mohammad Rizwan’s 41, the Sultans felt confident that they had enough on a pitch that had been favouring bowlers.
Openers Kamran Akmal (37) and Imam-ul-Haq (48) provided a solid foundation, upon which Tom Kohler-Cadmore (53) capitalised and, when in the end some late hitting was needed, the young Haider Ali, chipped in with an unbeaten 24 off 8 to get his side over the line.
Female Cricket Presenter from Australia, Erin Holland expressed, disappointment for not being a part of Pakistan Super League (PSL) this year.
Holland, the wife of Ben Cutting, who will represent Quetta Gladiators in PSL 6, reacted to PSL 6’s commentators and presenters’ roster on Twitter. “Very disappointed not to be involved this year. I wish everyone all the best for what’s sure to be a huge tournament again – thanks for all the support, and hope to see everyone again next year,” she wrote.
Very disappointed not to be involved this year. I wish everyone all the best for what’s sure to be a huge tournament again – thanks for all the support, and hope to see everyone again next year xx
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced a 14-member list of commentators and presenters for the sixth edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) featuring big international and local names.
Former England captain David Gower will make his debut this time in the commentary panel of HBL PSL 6 along with former New Zealand bowler and known commentator Simon Doull. The star-studded commentary roster also includes former South African all-rounder JP Duminy and Zimbabwean commentator Mpumelelo Mbangwa.
Other international names involved are Danny Morrison, Dominic Cork and Alan Walkins, who has been one of the most popular PSL voices in the previous seasons.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani commentators list includes both bi-lingual and Urdu commentators. Bazid Khan, Ramiz Raja, Sana Mir and Urooj Mumtaz will be doing bi-lingual commentary while renowned Tariq Saeed and Sikandar Bakht will be part of the panel as Urdu commentators. While Zainab Abbas will be the official presenter of this season.
PSL 6 will start on February 20 at National Stadium Karachi, which will host 20 matches. The league will move to Lahore in the second phase and as many as 14 matches including Playoffs and the final will be played till March 22.
PSL 6 is just around the corner and fans are excited to see all their favorite cricketers from different countries be together in one stadium. What makes PSL 2021 more exciting is that international celebrities will also be joining the franchises as brand ambassadors.
Esra Bilgiç, who played the role of Halima Sultan in the famous Turkish drama series Dirilis: Ertugrul, had hinted that she would be working be PSL 6 franchise Peshawar Zalmi. Recently, in a tweet, she wrote “new beginnings” and tagged the franchise’s owner Javed Afridi.
In response, the owner of Peshawar Zalmi’s franchise Afridi also tweeted “New Beginning” and tagged the Turkish actress.
To increase people’s excitement, Afridi has shared a new photo with the Turkish star on his Insta story. Both, Javed and Esra, can be seen talking via video chat and pose for a screenshot image. Afridi wrote, “Pleasure catching up with you Esra.”
The actress had created suspense last year in July after she tweeted that she had some “good news” and tagged the Zalmi account as well as Javed Afridi.
Earlier in January, in an Instagram post, she posted a picture of Islamia University Peshawar with the caption “The City of Flowers”. This led to fans and followers speculating if the star was in Pakistan.
It was being speculated that Esra will be visiting Pakistan soon as she has reportedly signed a contract with Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Peshawar Zalmi. While it is too early to say if Bilgiç will be coming to Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Javed recently revealed that Mahira Khan will represent Pakistan Super League franchise Peshawar Zalmi in the sixth edition.
Meesha Shafi has said that Groove Mera is a win over classism and post-colonial inferiority complex.
Sharing a behind the scenes (BTS) video of the song, the singer said: “Groove Mera isn’t just a musical win! It’s a win over classism, over post-colonial inferiority complex, over a rigged system that favours only a select few repeatedly.”
“A shame that we deny ourselves legendary talent like Naseebo Lal over these hangups,” continued Meesha, adding: “Kudos to the whole team.”
Meesha had earlier also praised the song referring to Naseebo as “Queen”.
The official anthem of the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Groove Mera has stirred up a storm in the country. While some, including celebrities, have appreciated the song, others have strongly criticised the composition and choice of artists.
After Shoaib Akhtar claimed he could have done a better job with the anthem, the speedster had to face immense backlash from Pakistani celebrities including Adnan Siddiqui, Farhan Saeed and Hira Mani.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has defended its decision to hire Naseebo Lal, Aima Baig and Young Stunners to perform the anthem, saying that the three artists were chosen as the board wanted to feature voices that were new and had not sung any PSL anthem before.
Following the decision of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) to allow 20 percent crowd to attend each matchday of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 6, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday confirmed the ticket prices for 30 of the 34 matches, which will be played from February 20 to March 16. Ticket denominations for the Qualifier, two Eliminators and the final, to be played from March 18-22, will be announced closer to time.
According to a press release, online sale of tickets will start on Wednesday at 10 00 (Pakistan time) and fans can visit www.bookme.pk to purchase match tickets and select their preferred enclosure and choice of seat.
Fans can also call the Bookme helpline (03137786888) to book their tickets for which CNIC number and phone number is mandatory. When the match ticket has been confirmed, the customer will be sent a token number on the registered phone so that the customer can make the payment at the closest Jazzcash/Easypaisa shop. Upon payment, the customer will receive an e-ticket code along with a Quick Response (QR) Code, which the customer can use to print the ticket or show the SMS at the entry gate on match day.
To encourage families to attend the marquee event, the PCB has reserved certain enclosures of the National Stadium Karachi and Gaddafi Stadium Lahore for families.
At the National Stadium, enclosures reserved for the families include Hanif Mohammad (VIP Enclosure), Wasim Akram (Premium Enclosure), Zaheer Abbas, Iqbal Qasim and Nasimul Ghani Enclosures (First-Class Enclosures), and Intikhab Alam Enclosure (General) while family enclosures at the Gaddafi Stadium include: Fazal Mahmood (VIP Enclosure), Saeed Anwar (Premier Enclosure), Abdul Qadir (First-Class Enclosure) and Nazar, Quaid, Zaheer Abbas and Majid Khan (General Enclosure).
For Saturday’s tournament opener between Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators, which will begin at 7 pm, cost of VIP stands (Hanif Mohammad and Javed Miandad Enclosures) have been fixed at Rs 5,000, while the price of the First-Class stands (Zaheer Abbas, Asif Iqbal, Waqar Hasan, Majid Khan, Iqbal Qasim and Nasimul Ghani Enclosures) have been kept at Rs 4,000. Similarly, price of Premium stands (Quaid, Wasim Akram and Imran Khan Enclosure) has been set at Rs 3,000, while the General stand tickets (Wasim Bari, Mohammad Brothers and Intikhab Alam Enclosure) have been fixed at Rs 2,000.
For Sunday’s double-header between Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi, and Islamabad United and Multan Sultans, which will start at 2 pm and 7 pm, respectively, cost of VIP stands (Hanif Mohammad and Javed Miandad Enclosures) have been fixed at Rs 4,000, while the price of the First-Class stands (Zaheer Abbas, Asif Iqbal, Waqar Hasan, Majid Khan, Iqbal Qasim and Nasimul Ghani Enclosures) have been kept at Rs 3,000. Similarly, price of Premium stands (Quaid, Wasim Akram and Imran Khan Enclosure) has been set at Rs 2,000, while the General stand tickets (Wasim Bari, Mohammad Brothers and Intikhab Alam Enclosure) have been fixed at Rs 1,000.
For matches to take place from Monday-Wednesday, cost of VIP stands (Hanif Mohammad and Javed Miandad Enclosures) have been fixed at Rs 3,000, while the price of the First-Class stands (Zaheer Abbas, Asif Iqbal, Waqar Hasan, Majid Khan, Iqbal Qasim and Nasimul Ghani Enclosures) have been kept at PKR2,000. Similarly, price of Premium stands (Quaid, Wasim Akram and Imran Khan Enclosure) have been set at Rs 1,000, while the General stand tickets (Wasim Bari, Mohammad Brothers and Intikhab Alam Enclosure) have been fixed at Rs 500.
For the first match in Lahore on March 10 involving Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings, ticket prizes for the VIP stands (Imran Khan and Fazal Mahmood Enclosures) have been set for 3,000, followed by Rs 2,000 for the First-Class Stands (Abdul Qadir and Sarfraz Nawaz Enclosures), Rs 1,000 for Premium stands (A.H. Kardar, Rajas, Javed Miandad and Saeed Anwar Enclosures) and Rs 500 for General stands (Inzamam ul Haq, Nazars, Quaid, Imtiaz Ahmed, Zaheer Abbas, Hanif Mohammad, Majid Khan, Saeed Ahmed Enclosures).
Meanwhile, overseas players have started arriving in Karachi, where the first half of the tournament will take place. Karachi will host 20 matches from February 20 to March 7 while Lahore will host the remaining 14 matches from March 10 to 22.
