IPL suspended for 1 week, Pakistan moving T20 league to Dubai amid regional conflict
Indian officials decide to suspend the league after match abandoned in Dharamsala, while Pakistan Super League will be played in UAE
The Pakistan Super League (PSL) will move its remaining matches to the United Arab Emirates in the wake of Pakistan’s ongoing conflict with India, the country’s cricket board chief Mohsin Naqvi said on Friday.
Thursday’s PSL match in Rawalpindi was postponed amid escalating hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbours, and Naqvi said the decision to move the last eight games was made to ensure players avoid “possible reckless targeting”.
Across the border, the Indian Premier League has been suspended because of the heightened border tensions between the two countries.
Oofficials decided to suspend the T20 league for one week after a match on Thursday was abandoned in Dharamsala – less than 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the town of Jammu, where explosions were reported hours earlier.
“The PCB has always stood by the position that politics and sports need to be kept apart,” Naqvi, also Pakistan’s interior minister, said in a statement.
“As a responsible organisation that has overcome adversities repeatedly and ensured that the game of cricket flourishes, it was important for us to ensure the mental well-being of all players participating in the PSL.”