PCB Cut Short PSL 2020, New Format In Place As Overseas Players Leave Over Coronavirus

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Friday, decided to cut short the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020. In addition to decreasing the length of the competition, the PCB has also changed the format of the playoffs. The PSL final will now be played on March 18 instead of March 23.

The PSL playoffs have been scrapped too. The top four teams will now play in a semifinal-style round. The winners of the two games will then lock horns against each other in the final of the tournament.

The announcement comes hours after the board announced that the tournament will continue as planned. The decision came in the wake of several overseas players leaving Pakistan due to the coronavirus pandemic. PCB had said that all players participating in PSL 2020 have been given the option to pull out of the tournament amid growing fears.

“Today, the PCB and the team owners, as part of their duty of care, have decided to give all the players the option to decide if they wish to return home,” PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan was quoted as saying by The Dawn.

In addition to several players, Peshawar Zalmi coach James Foster is also going back home. The way things are unfolding at the moment, it would not be surprising at all if more overseas players leave the PSL.

Coronavirus impact on cricket:

The outbreak has started taking a toll on cricket too. In the latest turn of events, the Indian Premier League has been postponed until April 15. The thirteenth edition of the league was set to get underway on March 29 in Mumbai. England’s upcoming two-match Test series in Sri Lanka has been called off too.

On the other hand, the India-South Africa and Australia-New Zealand ODI series are being played behind closed doors. In addition to the aforementioned series and tournaments, a number of other competitions have been postponed or cancelled too.

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