The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) CEO Wasim Khan is pretty confident that the board would be able to make the PSL 2021 ‘as watertight as possible’. The PCB has acquired the services of an international firm, Restrata to manage the biosecure bubble for the remainder of the competition.
“This is a global phenomenon and cricket is not exempt from that,” Khan told the Associated Press.
“We know we’re in safe hands with them [Restrata],” he said. “We are doing everything we can from a bio-bubble perspective, both at the ground and also at the hotels ... and make sure that we make this as watertight as possible.”
Wasim further added that the World T20 might take place in UAE and the PSL is the perfect precursor for this.
“The logistical challenges that we found will be similar challenges, bringing more countries over from different parts of the world for the World Cup in the UAE,” he said. “[The PSL] is a perfect precursor leading into the ICC decision, which is strongly considering U.A.E as the venue [for the T20 World Cup].”
“Ultimately it’s a decision for the ICC, but right now, if you ask me, I would say that it’s likely to probably take place in the UAE,” he added.
The PSL was earlier suspended after there was a rise in Covid-19 cases within the franchise teams. It was then scheduled to resume on June 1 in Karachi with all the matches taking place at the same venue including the final.
But the franchises had requested the PCB to move it out of Pakistan citing the Covid-19 problems in the country. The tournament will now resume on June 9 while the final will be played on June 24. All the fixtures are slated to take place in Abu Dhabi.