England Players Set To Leave PSL In A Hurry Amid Coronavirus Concerns
Published - 13 Mar 2020, 08:52 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:04 AM
The last phase of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) looks set to be played without any English cricketer playing in it. In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak that is fast taking a toll on cricket, the England players have reportedly decided to leave Pakistan for their homes.
According to Daily Mail, the English cricketers were preparing to make hasty exits from the T20 tournament on Thursday night. Amid collective concerns about getting stuck abroad as the coronavirus pandemic takes hold across the globe, the PSL were organising flights back to the UK for the likes of the World Cup-winning trio Jason Roy, Moeen Ali and James Vince plus other England internationals such as Tom Banton, Alex Hales and Chris Jordan.
The PSL still has 10 days left to run but all 15 players from England could leave Pakistan for the UK by Saturday. The competition will continue without them, with matches played behind closed doors. The upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is also facing the same prospect. Latest reports suggest that the IPL could be played behind closed doors.
In other developments taking place in England cricket, Nottinghamshire have dropped Northamptonshire as pre-season opponents over health concerns. Northants are going to Singapore on Monday for a 12-day warm-weather training break, which prompted Nottinghamshire to scrap the fixture to avoid unnecessary risk to their own players and staff.
Somerset have also pulled out of their pre-season trip to Abu Dhabi, where they were due to play Worcestershire and Essex. In international cricket, the last two ODIs between India and South Africa will be played behind closed doors. The three-match ODI series between Australia and New Zealand will also not allow the fans to watch the games from the stands.
