The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to relocate 13 cricketers to their respective homes after players and staff from Lahore and Karachi were denied boarding on a commercial flight to Abu Dhabi. “There could potentially be some more delays in the issuance of the remaining visas,” the PCB said. The players would undergo necessary PCR tests as soon as their visas are finalised, according to PCB, before boarding the earliest available commercial flight to Abu Dhabi for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season six.
Five players and officials landed in Abu Dhabi today afternoon through Doha from Karachi, while 12 players and officials departed Lahore on Sunday evening and will arrive in Abu Dhabi through Bahrain on Monday morning, according to the PCB.
These 17 people were flown due to an exception granted by the UAE government.
In an official statement, PCB Director of Commercial and PSL 6 Head Babar Hamid said, “We regret the inconvenience that has been given to certain players and officials, but these were due to unanticipated circumstances and unanticipated problems.”
“The PCB is working closely with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Emirates Cricket Board to ensure that all competitors arrive in Abu Dhabi on schedule so that the remaining competition can go place,” he said.
Naseem Shah of the Quetta Gladiators and Shahid Afridi of the Multan Sultans were both ruled out of the PSL’s Abu Dhabi leg last week.
By arriving at the appointed hotel with a non-compliant RT-PCR test result, Naseem violated the regulations for departure from Pakistan.
PCB, on the other hand, reversed course and agreed to allow Naseem to join his squad for the PSL.
After a rash of COVID-19 cases were detected in March of this year, PSL six was postponed. The competition will continue in Abu Dhabi in June.