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'We owe it to BCCI': How India ensured UAE says no to Pakistan from hosting PSL
Here's how India and BCCI ensured that UAE says no to hosting the remainder of the Pakistan Super League.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the postponement of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) just hours after saying the remainder of the tournament would be played in the UAE amid the ongoing rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. The PCB might not have given the real reason in their official statement, but one has to acknowledge the fact that the Emirates Cricket Board declined their request to complete the tournament and play the remaining matches in Dubai.
However, a report in Cricbuzz states that the Indian cricket board played a huge role in the remainder of the PSL not being completed in the UAE and the Emirates Cricket Board turning down the PCB's request.
It is known that the UAE's cricket board share a good relationship with the BCCI and even the ICC chairman, Jay Shah. The relations between India and UAE have been exceptional after the latter hosted one half and a half IPL seasons and the 2021 T20 World Cup.
“We owe it to the BCCI and Jay Bhai,” Cricbuzz quoted an ECB official as saying.
The report also quoted another official who said that when soldiers are fighting at the border, there is no question of remaining quiet.
“When soldiers are dying at the border, we cannot keep quiet,” Cricbuzz quoted an official as saying.
What does the official statement from PCB say?
The PCB announced the postponement of PSL on Friday, citing the worsening situation between India and Pakistan at the border.
"The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announces the postponement of the remaining eight matches of the HBL PSL X. 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 official statement stated.
"The decision to postpone has been taken pursuant to advice received from the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif," it added.
The board also admitted that the players were not willing to participate in the remainder of the tournament, given the situation in Pakistan.
"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 concluded.
