On Pak PM's advice, PCB postpones remaining matches of PSL 10

Mumbai, May 9 (IANS) Less than a day after deciding to relocate the Pakistan Super League to Dubai in the wake of the conflict with India, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made a U-turn and decided to postpone the 10th edition of the franchise-based T20 league for an indefinite period.

"The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announces the postponement of the remaining eight matches of the HBL PSL X," said PCB in a statement on Friday.

The PCB made the announcement in a press release on its official website and said it has taken the decision because of increased aerial attacks by India and following advice received from the Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif.

"The last 24 hours have seen a worsening of the situation on the LOC, increased incursion of 78 drones, and the firing of surface-to-surface missiles from India.

"The decision to postpone has been taken pursuant to advice received from the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif who has kept in view the reckless aggression from India that has escalated to a point where national attention and sentiments are rightly focused on the courageous efforts of the Armed Forces of Pakistan who are vociferously upholding the sovereignty of our beloved Pakistan," the PCB said in its statement.

It is altogether another matter that India has only responded to the terrorist attack on innocents in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives, and also targeted terrorist and military installations across the border.

"We, at the PCB, also have sincere regard for the mental well-being of participating players and the sentiments of our foreign players, and we respect the concerns of their families who want to see them back home," the statement.

Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board had, in a late-night meeting, decided to relocate the eight matches to Dubai because the foreign players were adamant on leaving Pakistan following the missile and drone attacks on military installations and an adverse security advisory by their respective governments. One of the drones had crashed at a food street near the Rawalpindi International Cricket Stadium, which resulted in the PSL postponing Thursday night's match between Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings.

--IANS

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