Remaining PSL 2021 season to start in Abu Dhabi from June 9

The remaining 2021 season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will begin on June 9 at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The playoffs will take place after the remaining 30 matches of the group stage and the final will be played on June 24. The remainder of the tournament will consist of six double-header matches, including one on June 21, the chauffeur and the eliminator. Earlier, only 15 matches of the tournament could be held in Pakistan. The tournament was postponed on March 4 due to the corona cases in the bio-bubble, however the PCB finally shifted the tournament to the UAE after overcoming all logistical challenges.

The PCB has had to contend with the Pakistan government to move the remaining matches of the PSL to Abu Dhabi, as many members of the production crew were from India and travel from India to the UAE is banned due to the coronavirus outbreak in India. Players and members of the support staff, who arrived in the UAE from Pakistan on charter flights in the past to play in the PSL, completed their seven-day quarantine on Wednesday. Not only this, Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars have also completed their first training session. The teams will practice from June 3-8, while the first match between Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars will be played on June 9.

PCB chief Wasim Khan said in a statement, “It was agreed between the PCB and the franchise that it is mandatory to complete the remaining matches in 2021, so that we have a complete 2022 for the seventh edition of the PSL.” I can assure all the fans that our priority has always been to deliver the entire tournament in Pakistan. Due to the tense circumstances, we had to opt for the second option for the rest of the match.