PSL 2026 to be played behind closed doors; two venues to host all games

Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 will be played behind closed doors across two venues, Lahore and Karachi, amid the ongoing geopolitical crisis in West Asia. The opening ceremony scheduled in Lahore also stands cancelled, with the tournament set to be played under significant restrictions.

Per the original plan, the league was to be played across six venues. However, the escalating tensions in the Middle East have made an impact on the eight-team tournament.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi stated that the decision was made following several consultations and meeting with the Prime Minister and security authorities, given the ongoing global fuel and economic crisis, forcing nations to curtail public movement.

Naqvi, however, expressed that the latter half of the tournament could be held in the presence of spectators, but that would be subject to the situation in Iran ending.

"Consultations regarding the Pakistan Super League had been ongoing for the past few days, including with the Prime Minister and the security agencies. The government has been advising people to limit movement due to the ongoing global fuel and economic situation," Naqvi said at a press conference.

"Looking at all of this and after discussions with our security agencies, we decided that the PSL would continue as per the original schedule. But we can't ask people to restrict their movements and then have 30,000 people in stadiums every day. We decided that as long as this crisis is ongoing, we will not have crowds at matches. This was a difficult decision, but it needed to be made. The opening ceremony will also be cancelled,” he added.

"PSL is our international brand, and with foreign players involved, we had to consider our credibility as well. Postponing the tournament was not a viable option, especially since there is no available window later in the year. That is why, after consultations, it was decided that the PSL will begin on March 26,” he said further.

The situation means that the tournament had to contend with two venues as opposed to the original plan of distributing the games to six stadiums.

"Matches were originally planned in Faisalabad, Peshawar and Rawalpindi, and we were also looking to expand to Hyderabad and Muzaffarabad in the future. However, given the current situation, the tournament will now be held only in Lahore and Karachi to minimise movement and resource use. I would like to apologise to the people of Peshawar. We had promised matches there, but unfortunately, due to the circumstances, we are unable to fulfil that. We will make sure they are accommodated in some form in the future," said Naqvi.

Naqvi further said that the PCB will compensate the revenue loss that the franchise owners will suffer in the absence of crowds, also adding that those who had purchased the tickets will be refunded in full.

"If crowds are not allowed, franchises are affected because a significant portion of their revenue comes from gate receipts. We have decided that the PCB will absorb that impact to ensure their losses are minimal. Wherever we can take the financial burden, we will. All tickets that have already been purchased will be refunded within 72 hours. I also apologise to the fans, especially considering how many tickets were sold in the last few days,” he said.

"There is strong support from franchises and stakeholders, including sponsors, to go ahead with the tournament. Some have even said they are willing to absorb losses to ensure the league continues as per the government's guidance,” he added.

The PCB chairman also said that legal action will be initiated against players who opted out of the tournament at the last minute to join the Indian Premier League (IPL). Blessing Muzarabani pulled out of PSL to join Kolkata Knight Riders as a replacement for Mustafizur Rahman, while Dasun Shanaka has also confirmed his decision to ditch PSL after securing a deal with Rajasthan Royals as Sam Curran’s replacement.

Gudakesh Motie, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Ottneil Baartman and Spencer Johnson have also pulled out of PSL, albeit with personal reasons.

"We will take action against those players according to the rules. There was a case last year too [referring to Corbin Bosch, who was banned from the PSL for one year], and the same thing will happen this time. Clashing with the IPL is not an issue because if players are going there, we're getting excellent players coming here as well. We could not afford to postpone the PSL because we have no other window all year,” Naqvi said.

The PSL is set to start on March 26, with the final on May 3.