The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s prime focus is to resume the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in a secure environment as soon as possible, said Sami ul Hasan Burney, Director Media of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in an exclusive interview with The Correspondent.
“Right now, PCB’s main focus is to complete the remainder of the matches. We have learnt a lot from this experience and have identified areas where we lacked and we will use it to make foolproof arrangements next time around.”
When asked regarding foreign players coming for the matches again he said, “Yes, there has been a breach of trust but before starting the tournament again we (PCB) want to create an environment of trust between the players so they feel confident about the arrangements.”
Sharing his viewpoint regarding the potential commencement of PSL in May, he said, “It is too early to decide anything regarding starting PSL in May. There are a lot of factors that we need to keep in mind before making a final call.”
He further added, “May is just two months away and we also need to keep in mind that players who have tested positive when they can be fully fit and allowed to enter the stadium. We will also need a direction from the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) in this regard.”
Answering the accusations made against PCB by the franchises, Sami said, “PCB will not indulge in any conversation that will affect the credibility of, or damages, the PSL brand.”
“We don’t want PCB’s reputation to get tarnished internationally, so it is imperative that we complete this PSL as we have to host international teams this year,” he said while talking about the challenges that PCB might face in the future.
Since yesterday, there has been a lot of talk regarding Pakistan’s management of the bio-secure bubble for the international series. Pakistan is set to host New Zealand and England in October. In December, West Indies are due to arrive for three one day internationals and three T20Is.
“From the last 24 hours, we have taken an extensive look at Pakistan’s as well as other cricketing nation’s Future Tour Program (FTP) and we have complete data regarding the availability of players and windows,” Burney said. “PCB, after taking in confidence all the franchises, will confirm the new dates for the PSL in the coming week.”
The PCB has received a myriad of criticism for their ineffective handling and implementation of the COVID-19 SOPs as six players and one support staffer tested positive.
