Pakistan Super League postponed with immediate effect due to COVID-19 outbreak

KARACHI: The ongoing Pakistan Super League was on Thursday postponed with immediate effect after three more cricketers tested positive for COVID-19, taking the total number of cases in the T20 event to seven.

"Following a meeting with the team owners and considering the health and wellbeing of all participants is paramount, the Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to postpone the HBL Pakistan Super League 6 with immediate effect," the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.

"The decision was made after seven cases were reported in the competition, which had started on 20 February."

The domestic T20 tournament has been rocked by a series of COVID-19 cases with the governing body confirming on Thursday that three unnamed players from two different teams tested positive for the disease.

Only 14 games were completed in the 34-match tournament.

The PCB said it "will focus on the safe and secure passage of all participants, and arrange repeat PCR tests, vaccines and isolation facilities to the six participating sides."

England batsman Tom Banton had earlier claimed that he was one of the two foreign players who tested positive for COVID-19 and has been put under isolation.

PCB Director of Media Sami-ul Hasan Burney on Tuesday said that two foreign players and one member of the support staff had tested positive for the virus.

This was after Australian leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed tested positive on Monday.

Burney had not named the two players and the support staff member.

PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan, Director–Commercial Babar Hamid, will hold a media conference at the National Stadium later in the day to provide further updates, the statement said.