PSL players and officials to undergo COVID19 tests today

The players and officials of the six Pakistan Super League (PSL) teams will start undergoing COVID-19 tests from May 22 in Lahore and Karachi. All individuals who will be traveling to Abu Dhabi will undergo three tests before being cleared to fly to the UAE.

The remaining 20 matches of PSL 2021 will take place in Abu Dhabi from the first week of June. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed the same after getting the green light from the Abu Dhabi government. Two chartered flights will take all the players and officials from Karachi and Lahore to Abu Dhabi on May 26.

As per reports in the Dawn, after clearing the first test, the players and officials will be shifted to hotels in Karachi and Lahore on May 24. They will undergo two more COVID19 tests before flying out of Pakistan.

PCB receives all approvals for HBL PSL 6 matches in Abu Dhabi.The PCB will now hold an online meeting with the six franchise owners later in the day to update them about the progress made as well as to finalise all details --> https://t.co/WoQQDo61v7

— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) May 20, 2021

The sixth edition of the T20 league will lose some of its hype due to the unavailability of many overseas cricketers.

Sri Lanka is currently busy playing a limited-overs series in Bangladesh while New Zealand are set to tour England. South Africa will also travel to the West Indies, which means the six franchises will have to look for replacements for their international players.

Broadcasters express concerns about PSL 2021 television schedule

The organisers are now facing a new dilemma after broadcasters raised concerns about the timings of the second game in double headers (PST 10.00 P.M). The broadcasters are of the opinion that the timing of these matches might affect the viewership numbers.

As a result, the PCB and the broadcasters are planning to reschedule the timing of those matches.

PSL UPDATES : ~ Teams can pick upto 20 players in PSL which means 6×2 = (12) more players can feature in PSL.~ Earlier maximum only 18 players were allowed for each PSL team.

— Saeed Cricky🏏 (@SaeedCricky) May 21, 2021

It was previously reported that the PCB were planning to host the remaining matches of PSL 2021 from June 1. However, due to the delay caused in acquiring a green signal from the UAE government, the tournament is most likely to start on June 5.