ECB shuts door on Pakistan, won't damage ties with India, forces PSL postponement
With Dubai being the headquarters of the ICC, currently headed by former BCCI secretary Jay Shah, the ECB is likely considering broader implications.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was forced to postpone the remaining Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches indefinitely after its bid to host them in the UAE was rejected.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the worsening situation with nuclear rivals India had escalated with the incursion of 78 drones from across the border.
"The decision to postpone the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has been taken pursuant to advice received from the prime minister Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif," said a PCB release.
The tenth edition of the PSL involved 37 foreign players from England, Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies and South Africa.
This happened just a short while after news agency PTI cited sources within the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) suggesting that they were "unlikely to approve" the request and shut doors on the PCB and PSL.
The rejection stemmed from "security concerns potentially emanating from the rising tension between India and Pakistan." The ECB is reportedly wary of being "perceived as an ally of PCB" by hosting the PSL, especially given their "strong relationship with BCCI in recent years," which includes hosting the 'India' edition of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, Indian Premier League (IPL) matches, and India's games during the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
With Dubai being the headquarters of the International Cricket Council (ICC), currently headed by former BCCI secretary Jay Shah, the ECB is likely considering broader implications. The presence of a "diverse South Asian population which enjoys cricket" in the UAE raises concerns that hosting the PSL amidst heightened tensions "could vitiate harmony, pose security risks and stir unnecessary friction between communities."
"The UAE has a diverse South Asian population which enjoys cricket. Hosting a tournament like the PSL in the midst of such tense circumstances could vitiate harmony, pose security risks and stir unnecessary friction between communities," the source said.
Earlier on Friday, the PCB announced that the final eight PSL matches, originally slated for Rawalpindi, Multan, and Lahore, would be moved to the UAE, with a detailed schedule to follow. This decision came after the cancellation of a match between Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings in Rawalpindi on Thursday. These developments follow India's recent missile strikes on alleged terror infrastructure within Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which occurred two weeks after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that resulted in 26 fatalities.
