Should the PCB reschedule the PSL to another slot in 2022 in face of the Omicron threat?

[Savak]

Let's face it, the PCB failed to halt the spread and penetration of Covid in the last two seasons of PSL. Omnicron is perhaps the most transmittable of all of the Covid variants and Pakistan is already facing 100 plus cases a day. Even the Big Bash have not been able to contain it.

Another Covid affected PSL will be disasterous for the league's and PCB's image. Maybe better to hold the PSL in the summers?

Also PCB and the PSL authorities should have completely booked the Dreamworld resort facilities for the players, staff, commentators. Perhaps each team should be permitted to have 25 players to ensure that all teams are able to field 11 players in the event of Covid cases.

 

[Rana]

Let's face it, the PCB failed to halt the spread and penetration of Covid in the last two seasons of PSL. Omnicron is perhaps the most transmittable of all of the Covid variants and Pakistan is already facing 100 plus cases a day. Even the Big Bash have not been able to contain it.

Another Covid affected PSL will be disasterous for the league's and PCB's image. Maybe better to hold the PSL in the summers?

Also PCB and the PSL authorities should have completely booked the Dreamworld resort facilities for the players, staff, commentators. Perhaps each team should be permitted to have 25 players to ensure that all teams are able to field 11 players in the event of Covid cases.

Omicron is overrated. It’s not as dangerous as the delta variant. England has not shut down despite being a hotspot for Omicron.

 

[PakPremi]

Omicron seem to be spreading quickly, will cause lots of issues at the PSL.

 

[zamana]

Omicron may not carry the same mortality as the other variants but can cause significant morbidity. The following needs to be implemented .
1. All personnel involved must be properly vaccinated and have received the booster dose also.
2. A bio secure bubble should be created and strictly implemented. No flexibility should be permitted
3. Medical and security personnel must be entrusted with the task of implementation.
4. Proper mask wearing should be practiced whenever people are in proximity. This may not be necessary on the playing field as the players are usually at a distance.
5. Distancing should be implemented for the spectators. They need to show documentation of booster vaccination and wear masks so that the virus is not allowed to be transmitted amongst the public.
6. Public health education regarding the virus needs to be disseminated.
7. Mr. Raja and other members of the PCB need to make a statement that they are serious about countering the threat of the virus. Please wear a mask at all times to make a proper statement about how seriously you take this issue. Please educate the entire staff regarding the virus. I suspect there is a lot of ignorance regarding this.
8. Anything less than this will see a proliferation of the virus and will require quarantines and interruption or curtailment of the PSL. The onus will then be on those who do not practice what they preach.I suspect a degree of nihilism in the acceptance and threat of the Coronavirus.

 

[Kianig89]

Pcb and chaos go hand in hand league will take place there will be breaches might play in empty stadium rescheduling games everything will happen playoffs delayed till June it will be all subjective planning

 

[MenInG]

Poll added.

 

[Varun]

No.

The PCB should be the first entity in this wimpy world to take the bull by the horns and carry on with life as we knew it.

Do not let Covid win.

 

[transparent opacity]

I think PSL should be held as scheduled.

After Omicron there will be another variant and then another. The virus is here to stay, we better get used to it and return to normalcy.

 

[mon858]

They should go ahead but do somethings to not make tournament stop should there be frw cases here and there such as :

1. Allow concept of "reserves" perhaps top local players who went unpicked ( e.g. sahibzada Farhan, Kashif Ali, etc.) That are vaccinated, covid tested and perhaps kept at NCA for a separate reserve bubble and can be picked by any team as covid replacement in case of losing any member.
2. In case of covid case allow teams more flexibility in choosing less or more players from categories (foreign, emerging, etc) and opposition could do same for same game.
3. Treat covid more as cold or flu since everyone should be vaccinated and generally athletes are more healthy anyway. So not make it a big deal and stop everything. Just move on with life.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Nothings going to change from now till summer, so there’s no point postponing it.

If PCB were clever, they’d have played all their games in Bahria Town Karachi and Bahria Town Lahore (If stadiums available).

Fans shouldn’t be allowed into the ground, it’s better to have a full PSL with no fans and zero interruptions than to have one with fans and players catching the virus.

PCB needs to look at how UFC went about hosting fights in the UAE. No one comes in and no one goes out. The only people allowed in the bubble are those that are involved in the event.

PCB needs to book out a hotel where only the players will be staying. We saw last year how guests living in the same hotel were interacting with the players. The bubble had been breached. The hotel staff aren’t part of the bubble, they’re going to be interacting with the players. The franchise owners were bringing celebrities into the bubble even though they hadn’t been isolating. Javed Afridi will be seen sitting next to Maya Jama, because he thinks he’s cool, but has no regards for safety of his players.

The bubble is too easy to breach, and PCB are doing nothing to prevent it.

 

[moghul]

We have to live with his virus now . Get everyone vaccinated , players and officials, if are not already are
limited spectators , only with proof of vaccination.

No need to cancel/delaying PSl.

Check vaccinated players and official for covid, only if anyone of them has any symptoms. Let them come back to participate if no symptoms for 5 days .

No unvaccinated player/official player should allow to participate.

 

[moghul]

Here in USA we are going through the worst wave of covid 19 we ever had . But vast majority of the hospitalized ones are unvaccinated. Its extremely rare to see a vaccinated healthy person not to recover from symptoms within a week, without any need for hospitalization .

All sporting events are going on with occasional cancellation of the game, majority of the schools are open.

 

[Giannis]

Omicron is not a threat

 

[Giannis]

Here in USA we are going through the worst wave of covid 19 we ever had . But vast majority of the hospitalized ones are unvaccinated. Its extremely rare to see a vaccinated healthy person not to recover from symptoms within a week, without any need for hospitalization .

All sporting events are going on with occasional cancellation of the game, majority of the schools are open.

This is not true and extremely misleading, there have been several cases of vaccinated + boosted individuals hospitalized for COVID, in fact in the large metro area where I'm at they make up the majority of hospitalizations. The reason why both unvaccinated and vaccinated are ending up in the hospitals is because they share the same underlying conditions/comorbidities. Healthy and young people are far less likely to end up in the hospital regardless of their vaccination status, although it is encourage to get vaccinated as it does prevent severe illness and death in those in the high risk categories.

 

[Usman]

There is one thing that we can say with relative certainty here and it’s that multiple players and support staff will catch Omicron during the tournament. If countries like Australia and China with zero Covid policies and draconian lockdowns cannot stop Omicron, then there’s literally zero chance of the PSL happening without the spread of Omicron.

The question is what happens when people test positive. Are there sufficient back up players to ensure teams can continue to field an 11 even if several players test positive? If the answer is no, then this tournament is doomed for failure and should without doubt be postponed.

The other question is, how effective are the PSL’s testing and quarantine procedures? Omicron spreads like wildfire and so without testing at insanely regular intervals, it will shut down entire franchises. Will the PSL test, say, twice a day? And are there effective facilities to put positive cases into immediate isolation?

Everyone who says “it’s ok, omicron is less severe” is missing the point. Society is not at a point where it is prepared to throw all caution to the wind and just allow Covid to spread once it’s been detected. Players aren’t going to be comfortable playing alongside someone who is positive. So regardless of your views on the seriousness of Omicron, the reality is that if it spreads, the PCB will be left with no option but to shut down the PSL. The PSL therefore can only go ahead if the measures I have highlighted above are taken.

 

[Savak]

I think each Franchise should have picked atleast 25 players. 20 will not be enough if players catch Covid

 

[Varun]

Players aren’t going to be comfortable playing alongside someone who is positive.

They'll be perfectly fine. Foreign players who come to these leagues are mercenaries and hired guns and seeing that not a single active athlete worldwide has succumbed to Covid, I'm sure they'll take their chances.

We're not in 2020 anymore, and it's time to move on particularly since everybody is double vaccinated.

 

[ARK Rafay]

There's no saying there won't be Omicron or other variant by summer of this year.

What we are dealing with right now is very unknown and whatever decision PCB makes it may not suffice.

So everyone needs to lower their expectations with PSL and even international cricket.

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

The problem PCB will face is not the cases coming, the problem will be foreign players jumping the ship in case lot of cases come. That is what happened last time as local players were ready to continue.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Biobubble protocols should be strict and should be followed no matter what.

Should be held in empty stadia if things keep getting worse.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

The problem PCB will face is not the cases coming, the problem will be foreign players jumping the ship in case lot of cases come. That is what happened last time as local players were ready to continue.

Think Alex Hales was the first player to be linked with having covid back in 2020 during PSL, he decided to leave.

Just recently in the BBL, he tested positive for covid and he didn’t leave. He’ll be playing the next game for ST.

It’ll be interesting to see how some of the foreigners who are playing in the BBL, will do in the PSL.

 

[Markhor]

Omicron may not carry the same mortality as the other variants but can cause significant morbidity. The following needs to be implemented .
1. All personnel involved must be properly vaccinated and have received the booster dose also.
2. A bio secure bubble should be created and strictly implemented. No flexibility should be permitted
3. Medical and security personnel must be entrusted with the task of implementation.
4. Proper mask wearing should be practiced whenever people are in proximity. This may not be necessary on the playing field as the players are usually at a distance.
5. Distancing should be implemented for the spectators. They need to show documentation of booster vaccination and wear masks so that the virus is not allowed to be transmitted amongst the public.
6. Public health education regarding the virus needs to be disseminated.
7. Mr. Raja and other members of the PCB need to make a statement that they are serious about countering the threat of the virus. Please wear a mask at all times to make a proper statement about how seriously you take this issue. Please educate the entire staff regarding the virus. I suspect there is a lot of ignorance regarding this.
8. Anything less than this will see a proliferation of the virus and will require quarantines and interruption or curtailment of the PSL. The onus will then be on those who do not practice what they preach.I suspect a degree of nihilism in the acceptance and threat of the Coronavirus.

Great post, all these steps should be implemented.

 

[James]

Omicron may not carry the same mortality as the other variants but can cause significant morbidity. The following needs to be implemented .
1. All personnel involved must be properly vaccinated and have received the booster dose also.
2. A bio secure bubble should be created and strictly implemented. No flexibility should be permitted
3. Medical and security personnel must be entrusted with the task of implementation.
4. Proper mask wearing should be practiced whenever people are in proximity. This may not be necessary on the playing field as the players are usually at a distance.
5. Distancing should be implemented for the spectators. They need to show documentation of booster vaccination and wear masks so that the virus is not allowed to be transmitted amongst the public.
6. Public health education regarding the virus needs to be disseminated.
7. Mr. Raja and other members of the PCB need to make a statement that they are serious about countering the threat of the virus. Please wear a mask at all times to make a proper statement about how seriously you take this issue. Please educate the entire staff regarding the virus. I suspect there is a lot of ignorance regarding this.
8. Anything less than this will see a proliferation of the virus and will require quarantines and interruption or curtailment of the PSL. The onus will then be on those who do not practice what they preach.I suspect a degree of nihilism in the acceptance and threat of the Coronavirus.

This seems a reasonable enough list of steps to take.

PSL should go ahead.

 

[moghul]

Omicron is not a threat

People dying from it but not a threat otherwise .

 

[moghul]

This is not true and extremely misleading, there have been several cases of vaccinated + boosted individuals hospitalized for COVID, in fact in the large metro area where I'm at they make up the majority of hospitalizations. The reason why both unvaccinated and vaccinated are ending up in the hospitals is because they share the same underlying conditions/comorbidities. Healthy and young people are far less likely to end up in the hospital regardless of their vaccination status, although it is encourage to get vaccinated as it does prevent severe illness and death in those in the high risk categories.

My message for you and others like you, please keep your anti-vaccine Jihad for some other time . Follow the science and not the teaching of any cult .

 

[BreadPakoda]

This is not true and extremely misleading, there have been several cases of vaccinated + boosted individuals hospitalized for COVID, in fact in the large metro area where I'm at they make up the majority of hospitalizations. The reason why both unvaccinated and vaccinated are ending up in the hospitals is because they share the same underlying conditions/comorbidities. Healthy and young people are far less likely to end up in the hospital regardless of their vaccination status, although it is encourage to get vaccinated as it does prevent severe illness and death in those in the high risk categories.

My message for you and others like you, please keep your anti-vaccine Jihad for some other time . Follow the science and not the teaching of any cult .

Would be great to see any data that supports any of these two opposing schools of thought.

 

[moghul]

Would be great to see any data that supports any of these two opposing schools of thought.

in 2022 you're asking for data to convince you whether vaccine saves lives or not ? what planet you're living in , seriously. Wish you could see what I'm seeing every day at my place of work, hospital.

 

[BreadPakoda]

in 2022 you're asking for data to convince you whether vaccine saves lives or not ? what planet you're living in , seriously. Wish you could see what I'm seeing every day at my place of work, hospital.

That’s a very emotional response to a genuine, practical question. There is nothing wrong in asking for data to verify the effectiveness of a Pfizer / Moderna product against a new variant.

 

[BreadPakoda]

Here’s a study.

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.30.21268565v1

“receipt of 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccines was not protective against Omicron. Vaccine effectiveness against Omicron was 37% (95%CI, 19-50%) ≥7 days after receiving an mRNA vaccine for the third dose.”

So unless the definition of “vaccinated” has been changed to triple vaxxed, most vaccinated folks (double) likely have similar protection against Omicron as unvaccinated people.

 

[Zeshan547]

We have to live with his virus now . Get everyone vaccinated , players and officials, if are not already are
limited spectators , only with proof of vaccination.

No need to cancel/delaying PSl.

Check vaccinated players and official for covid, only if anyone of them has any symptoms. Let them come back to participate if no symptoms for 5 days .

No unvaccinated player/official player should allow to participate.

Sadly in Pakistan there are more than 50% bogus vaccination entries. And even more bogus certificates. The health department staff were kind of forced to do this, and they took election commision voter lists from teachers during voter verfication and put entries through 1166 covid vaccination code. So in my opinion there must be zero spectators, if PCB don't wanna mess up again.

 

[Sami92]

I will prefer no spectator in the stadium.

Large squads should be there of around 25 players.

One request to everyone, kindly don't take off your mask just because you are vaccinated.

 

[Titan24]

I think some cases are expected in every league (BBL has numerous), difference from last year is vaccinations and better understanding of Covid. Keeping that in mind PCB has said (As per the news going around) that as far as 12 players are available for a franchise the matches will go on as schedule. Better bubbles with army doctors and other medical professionals along with hotels/hotels floors being booked are some of the plans in place.

Biggest difference from last year is that people know more about Covid and vaccination rates are high so few cases wont disrupt the league as far as it is contained at a manageable level across franchises. So I think the league can go on with better and proper measures in place.

 

[Forward Defensive Push]

Remembering how it played out last year with the franchise owners to PCB all being so careless.. the tournament should be postponed or played at a secure venue like the UAE

 

[MenInG]

BCCI already planning to move to UAE I believe - PCB must keep an open mind also.

 

[pakistani pride]

No.

The PCB should be the first entity in this wimpy world to take the bull by the horns and carry on with life as we knew it.

Do not let Covid win.

A post with some sense!
I have been to pak 3 times during the last 3 years and did not experience anything / not even close to covid.

 

[moghul]

BCCI already planning to move to UAE I believe - PCB must keep an open mind also.

If restricted to 2 cities , there is nothing which they do in UAE and cannot be done in Pakistan . Omicron will not spare even UAE this time . PCB just has to show better management or hand over to some professional company to run PSL.

Time has come for PCB to face and manage the problem in Pakistan ant not run away from Omicron.

Moving to UAE will given an opening to Australians to ask for the same.

 

[MenInG]

LAHORE: Matches of the HBL Pakistan Super League will go ahead if franchises have 13 players available in case of a Covid-19 outbreak, it was decided in a meeting between team representatives and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) here on Monday.

The meeting saw an agreement signed between the board and the franchises. It included the SOPs that will be in place during the month-long tournament to ensure its not interrupted due to the virus.

All players will have to go through a three-day quarantine period after which they will have to clear the PCR test before being allowed to play in the PSL, which is set to be held in Karachi and Lahore from January 27 to February 27.

It has also been decided that the PCB will select a separate pool of 25 local players — who went unpicked in the main and supplementary drafts — and accommodate them in a bio-secure hotel where all teams are set to stay during the course of the event.

Teams severely hit by a Covid-19 outbreak will be allowed to pick from this pool of players if they don’t have 13 players available from their squad of 22.

According to the agreement, players and officials will not be allowed to bring along their families.

A PCB spokesperson told Dawn that the seventh edition of the PSL must be completed within the scheduled time. If the virus outbreak is worse, the league will be halted for seven days and following its resumption, the number of matches per day will be doubled.

The spokesperson said the decision was taken because there was no other window for the PSL to be held considering Pakistan’s jam-packed international cricket calendar at home this year with the likes of Australia, England, New Zealand to visit.

The spokesperson also confirmed that internationally active South African players will not be available for the tournament after the country’s cricket governing body Cricket South Africa denied them the NOCs.

CSA said it wanted its players to focus on their commitments with the national team and feature in domestic cricket events.

Two-year broadcast deal signed with consortium

Earlier on Monday, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced a television broadcast rights deal with a consortium of state-owned Pakistan Television (PTV) and private media giant ARY for the next two editions of the PSL.

In a press release issued, the PCB said the two media houses had submitted the highest bid at the aggregated fee of Rs4,350,786,786 — 50 per cent more than the last to secure the two-year-long home TV broadcast rights through a “robust and transparent” bidding process on December 23.

Another media giant Geo Entertainment was also in the race for the said deal but failed to secure the TV broadcast rights for the cash-rich T20 league.

Citing concerns regarding the bidding process, it had moved to the Lahore High Court only to get their petition against the PCB dismissed. However, the one against ARY and PTV is still pending and the next date is on January 19.

According to a PCB spokesperson, the litigation did not affect the signing of the deal, which was done on Sunday since the had not given a stay-order against it.

PCB chairman Ramiz Raja congratulated PTV and ARY on what he believed was a “historic deal”.

“HBL PSL has become a national identity and it attracts fans towards it,” he said.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1668833/h...to-go-ahead-if-team-has-13-virus-free-players

 

[shah9425]

Hopefully it goes on as per schedule

 

[Cricfan4eva]

Na, just hold it. Covid isn't going anywhere. Who knows if next variant is more deadly?

Just like PL, keep your schedule flexible and process in place if few player test positive. Keeping a bubble is pointless too as its definitely going to get breached.

 

[James]

Na, just hold it. Covid isn't going anywhere. Who knows if next variant is more deadly?

Just like PL, keep your schedule flexible and process in place if few player test positive. Keeping a bubble is pointless too as its definitely going to get breached.

Agree. The world needs to learn to live with the virus

 

[MenInG]

Mohammad Hafeez speaking to the media today:

"If someone is effected by Covid-19 then the PSL should not be stopped or postponed due to that, instead the effected person should be separated from the team or tournament, and the tournament should continue as normal as nothing is to be gained by postponing it, as rescheduling it becomes a tough job as we saw last time as we could not enjoy the tournament when we held the remaining games in the UAE"

 

[MenInG]

The players participating in the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will live in a highly restricted environment to prevent Covid-19 cases. Learning the lesson from past experiences, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has come up with a new plan to avoid the matches from getting postponed.

The officials will maintain a bubble within the respective team bio-bubbles where no one apart from the players of the particular franchise would be allowed to enter.

The games are scheduled to be played in two cities. Karachi will host the first 15 fixtures, and the remaining 15 games and four playoffs will be played in Lahore.

The hotel staff will also be a part of the PSL bubble to limit exposure, while the players will use separate lifts and dining areas.

The players will arrive in Karachi on January 20 and remain in a three-day hard quarantine.

Also, the families are not allowed this time, and in case of an outbreak, the entire hotel floor will undergo RT-PCR tests, while the teams will undergo rapid-antigen tests every day, and PCR tests will be conducted every two to three days.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed that the matches will go ahead in case a team has 13 fit, uninfected players to play. In addition, a backup of a 25-player pool of local cricketers has been picked up to help the teams getting impacted by the deadly virus.

In case of a major outbreak, the league will stop for a week, and following its restart, the number of matches per day will be doubled to ensure that the tournament finishes on time.

https://crictoday.com/cricket/news/...-for-psl-2022-family-members-are-not-allowed/

 

[Sir-fraz]

Just had it was down for 2 days, its pretty weak. Better keep things moving and host the psl.

Covid is endemic and isnt going nowhere. Infact im not even vaccinated and it was pretty weak.

 

[Devadwal]

Mohammad Hafeez speaking to the media today:

"If someone is effected by Covid-19 then the PSL should not be stopped or postponed due to that, instead the effected person should be separated from the team or tournament, and the tournament should continue as normal as nothing is to be gained by postponing it, as rescheduling it becomes a tough job as we saw last time as we could not enjoy the tournament when we held the remaining games in the UAE"

Spot on professor ,No point of Cancelling tournaments due to some case .just isolated them and cary on

 

[MenInG]

KARACHI: Sindh government is considering limiting the number of fans during Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 7’s first phase, scheduled here at National Stadium from January 27 to February 7.

According to the details, the Sindh government is planning to impose several restrictions in the province due to the increasing number of COVID-19 ‘Omicron variant’ cases.

In this regard, the provincial government will propose National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) to reduce the crowd during PSL 7 in the metropolis.

Remember, NCOC had allowed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to host a full crowd at both the PSL 7 venues in Karachi and Lahore. The tickets sale for the first seven matches has also started.

https://a-sports.tv/sindh-government-considers-limiting-crowd-during-psl-7-karachi/

 

[moghul]

KARACHI: Sindh government is considering limiting the number of fans during Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 7’s first phase, scheduled here at National Stadium from January 27 to February 7.

According to the details, the Sindh government is planning to impose several restrictions in the province due to the increasing number of COVID-19 ‘Omicron variant’ cases.

In this regard, the provincial government will propose National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) to reduce the crowd during PSL 7 in the metropolis.

Remember, NCOC had allowed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to host a full crowd at both the PSL 7 venues in Karachi and Lahore. The tickets sale for the first seven matches has also started.

https://a-sports.tv/sindh-government-considers-limiting-crowd-during-psl-7-karachi/

They woke up, a bit late but its never too late to do the right thing. Don't have to be empty stadium but limited number of spectators and all fully vaccinated is the way to go.

 

[MenInG]

Karachi Covid situation not good

https://tribune.com.pk/story/233901...ge-in-covid-cases-as-positivity-rate-nears-40

 

[MenInG]

Ten members of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) staff have tested positive for Covid-19, a cricket board official confirmed to this correspondent.

According to details, ten Covid-19 positive cases have been identified so far at the PCB headquarters at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The cases mostly involve low-tier employees.

Last week, the board conducted Covid-19 tests of all the staff after four positive cases emerged.

After receiving the reports of all the cases, there are a total of ten Covid-19 positives. They are quarantining at their homes and instructions have already been issued in the PCB headquarters to strictly follow the virus protocols

 

[sweep_shot]

If cases are rising rapidly, better to reschedule.

 

[shah9425]

Looking bad for Karachi especially

 

[MenInG]

KARACHI: Three foreign players of the Quetta Gladiators franchise, including Australian James Faulkner, West Indian Shimron Hetmyer and Luke Wood, have tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of their departure for the Pakistan Super League.

The trio tested positive before reaching Pakistan and their arrival has been delayed as they have been placed in quarantine.

All three players will miss Quetta's first match against Peshawar Zalmi on January 28.

In view of the rising cases of COVID-19 in the country, Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday announced that only 25 percent spectators will be allowed to attend the Pakistan Super League matches in Karachi starting from January 27.

The PCB said on Wednesday that the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has approved 25 per cent crowd attendance for the league.

Given the capacity of the National Stadium in Karachi around 8,000 spectators will be allowed inside the venue each match day but to ensure their health and safety as well as others attending the matches, the spectators' entry will be subject to strict COVID-19 protocols.

The protocols include individuals above the age of 12 years must be fully vaccinated, Valid vaccination certificates must be shown at the time of gaining access to the stadium and wearing of masks inside the venue is mandatory.

Originally the PCB had planned to allow full capacity of spectators for the matches.

PCB Chief Operating Officer and PSL Tournament Director Salman Naseer said that spectators are the essence of any sport event and in this background, we hope to set the stage with 25 per cent crowds to attend the Karachi matches.

"As a responsible organisation, we completely understand our obligations in relation to the health and safety of the fans and will leave no stone unturned in strictly implementing the NCOC guidelines," he said.

"However, we will also require complete and unconditional support from the spectators so that they and others can continue to enjoy the matches in a safe and secure environment. This is something they can do by simply following the guidelines."

The NCOC will make a decision closer to time for the Lahore-leg matches scheduled in the Gaddafi Stadium, which will be played from February 10-27.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...of-departure-for-psl/articleshow/89002457.cms

 

[moghul]

Hopefully someone knowledgeable is guiding PCB regarding duration of quarantine which should not be more than 5 days for asymptomatic players. They are all young healthy men and all are vaccinated.

 

[MenInG]

A few cases now

Full discussion here

http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/s...-League-7-Covid-watch&p=11404218#post11404218