PCB to decide PSL-5 winners after completion of matches

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to complete the Pakistan Super League by conducting its remaining match when it finds an open window and with that the plea of Multan Sultans’ that the table toppers should be awarded the 2020 title dashed in.

PCB on Wednesday made it clear that the new champions will be decided once the rest of the tournament is completed.The PCB officials and franchise representatives after a video conference on Wednesday rejected the idea of awarded the title to the team on to of the points table of the tournament, which was postponed indefinitely last month due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Since Multan Sultans had topped the round robin stage, they had been pushing for them to be declared the champions – an idea the Ali Tareen-owned franchise’s representative pushed again in the meeting.

The PCB officials led by COO Salman Naseer, however, poured cold water on the Sultans’ hopes, telling them that the board plans on resuming the tournament in order to avoid the financial cost arising from the loss of broadcasting and gate monies.

The board representatives said that they are looking to find a window, possibly in November or December on either side of the series against Zimbabwe.In case a three-day window is found, the PSL 2020 would revert to the original playoffs format but if only two days of play is possible, the amended version of two semi-finals and a final will be played.

When told by Multan rep that as per PSL rules the team at the top is to be declared the winner, PCB COO said that that was “misinterpretation of the law and that the rule applied only if the winner could not be found”. Furthermore, COO Naseer told Multan Sultans that PSL rules do not say anything about a pandemic postponing the event.