Due to the current security situation in the country, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to suspend cricket activities for now.
Following recent tensions with India, the PCB announced that it does not wish to continue cricket operations under the present circumstances. After halting the remainder of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the board has now suspended three domestic tournaments as well.
The tournaments affected are the President’s Trophy Grade-II, the Regional Intra-District Challenge Cup, and the Inter-District U-19 One-Day Tournament. In a statement released on Saturday, the PCB said the tournaments will resume at a later date, and a revised schedule will be shared closer to the restart.
Citing a “deterioration in border conditions” between India and Pakistan, the PCB had earlier postponed the remaining eight matches of the PSL indefinitely on Friday. According to the board, the decision was taken following instructions from Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif.
This announcement came less than 24 hours after the PCB had initially planned to relocate the remaining PSL matches to the United Arab Emirates. Foreign players, including Bangladesh’s Rishad Hossain and Nahid Rana, who were participating in the tournament, returned to their respective countries following the suspension.
The PSL postponement came just a few hours after India announced a one-week suspension of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The PCB has not yet provided any updates regarding the potential resumption of the PSL.
According to a report by cricket website ESPNcricinfo, after four consecutive days of cross-border strikes, both India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire on Saturday afternoon. That evening, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) began planning for the resumption of the IPL.
Amid these uncertainties, Bangladesh’s upcoming tour of Pakistan for a five-match T20I series is now also in doubt. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) stated it is closely monitoring the overall situation. The Bangladesh team is scheduled to travel to Pakistan on May 21 after completing their T20I series in the UAE, with matches planned in Lahore and Faisalabad.
The President’s Trophy Grade-II, a three-day domestic tournament, had started in mid-April and was expected to run through the fourth week of May, with the final scheduled for May 22. The other two tournaments were also originally set to continue into May.
