In a stunning development during the ongoing season 8 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Karachi is likely to host all the remaining matches after a monetary dispute arose between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the interim Punjab Government.
A final decision on the matter will be taken today during a virtual meeting which will be attended by all six franchise owners.
The dispute stems from the Punjab government’s demand of PKR 450 million from PCB for staging matches in Rawalpindi and Lahore. PCB, on the other hand, had an agreement worth PKR 50m with the previous regime which was dissolved in the last week of January.
The logjam has forced PCB to look towards Karachi as a potential venue for the rest of the tournament.
The Sindh government does not demand a security fee from PCB and only requires compensation for catering to the security personnel on duty.
One hiccup in PCB’s plan to shift the remaining PSL 8 matches to Karachi is the reluctance of team owners to agree on that idea. They are also reportedly of the opinion that the teams should not be dragged into any disagreements which do not concern them and that the board and the government should settle matters on their own.
The first 12 matches of the PSL season 8 have only taken place in Karachi and Multan.
The first game in Lahore is to be held on February 26th between Peshawar Zalmi and Lahore Qalandars and the first game in Rawalpindi is to take place on March 1 between Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi.
The playoffs and the grand finale on March 19th are all currently scheduled to be held in Lahore.
