With Pakistan continuing its fight against the fifth Covid-19 wave, authorities and organisers looking over the upcoming seventh season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) have reportedly decided the protocols for the T20 tournament, scheduled to begin from January 27 in Karachi.
As per reports, it will be mandatory for people associated with the league to pass at least three days in quarantine, and players will enter quarantine from January 20. Meanwhile, a 10-day isolation will be mandatory for a person who tests positive for the deadly virus.
Reports also suggested that the families of the players will not be allowed to stay with them during the upcoming season.
On the other hand, availability of a minimum of 13 players will be essential to conduct of a match and an affair might be suspended in case less than 13 players are available.
Moreover, the PSL 7 will be suspended for a period of seven days if Covid-19 infections break out during the season and the event will be rescheduled.
Significantly, after the abrupt postponement of the West Indies tour of Pakistan due to the emergence of Covid-19 cases inside the secure bio-bubble, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is extra cautious for the upcoming PSL season.
In December 2021, the Covid-19 outbreak in the West Indies camp had led to the postponement of the ODI series between touring West Indies and hosts Pakistan. The ODI series will now be played in June 2022.
After the development, PCB Chief Operating Office Salman Naseer said that the recent experience has made the board extra cautious for the upcoming seventh edition of the T20 League.
“There will be players coming from different countries, from different flights. So we will have to be extra cautious,” he had told reporters in Karachi.
“We are looking to book the entire hotel during the PSL and disconnect the staff and everyone at the hotel from outside,” he had added.
Naseer meanwhile, also stressed that there was no breach of the biosecure bubble and opined that the touring party might have contracted the virus somewhere while flying to Pakistan.
Notably, the upcoming PSL season will be staged in two phases with the first one to be held in Karachi while the second and last phase will be held in Lahore. Each phase will consist of 15 matches each.
Following an opening ceremony, defending champions Multan Sultans will take on hosts and 2020 champions Karachi Kings at the National Stadium in Karachi, which will begin at 7pm PKT.
Later, 2019 champions Quetta Gladiators will face 2017 winners Peshawar Zalmi on the following day.