Amid uncertainty, PSL flights land in Abu Dhabi

KARACHI: After a lot of uncertainty, two chartered flights carrying over 200 players and officials of the six franchises of the PSL and broadcast crew flew out of Lahore and Karachi for Abu Dhabi at 5pm on Thursday.

Both planes landed in the UAE safely, a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) source confirmed to ‘The News’ later in the evening.

Also, the UAE authorities gave landing permission to the chartered flights from India and South Africa, carrying broadcast crew, players and officials late Thursday.

Initially, the chartered flights from Pakistan (Karachi and Lahore) were scheduled to fly at 1pm on Thursday which were delayed until 3pm and again delayed until 5pm due to some technical issues, a source said.

As many as 25 players and officials have not yet been issued the UAE visas. According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) they would be transported to Abu Dhabi via a separate chartered flight once they got visas. Until then they would live in the biosecure bubble in their respective hotels, the Board said.

Quetta Gladiators’ skipper Sarfraz Ahmad is among those who have not been issued visas. Mohammad Hasnain, Imran Senior, fast bowler Mohammad Moosa, left-handed batsman Umar Amin, Zeeshan Ashraf, Zaid Alam, Abrar Ahmed, Imran Randhawa and rookie stumper Mohammad Haris are some of the others who are waiting for their visas.

The PCB media crew members Emmad Hameed and Shakeel Khan have also not been issued visas. Only PCB Media Director Sami-ul-Hasan Burni has proceeded to Abu Dhabi with the teams, a PCB source told ‘The News’.

Quetta Gladiators all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz is in South Africa and will travel with the South African players and broadcast crew to Abu Dhabi.

Earlier in the day, chartered flights from India and South Africa, carrying broadcast crew and players, had been denied landing permission by the UAE authorities, sources said.

However, late Thursday the PCB confirmed that chartered flights from India and South Africa have been given landing permission in Abu Dhabi.

“Flights from India and South Africa, carrying broadcast crew and players, have been given landing permission by the UAE authorities,” the PCB spokesman said.

“Chareted flights from these countries will fly to Abu Dhabi soon,” the spokesman added.

“Those persons in Pakistan who are waiting for their visas will be transported to Abu Dhabi as soon they get visas. After visas endorsement a chartered flight will be arranged for them,” the spokesman said in a message.

The spokesman added that the schedule of the tournament would be announced in the next two days.

Those who reach Abu Dhabi will be quarantined for seven days. It means the event’s time-frame will be further squeezed and more double headers may be adjusted in order to conclude the event by June 20. As many as 20 matches will be played in the Abu Dhabi-leg which will be conducted under hot conditions because the mercury level in the UAE has soared a lot.

The PCB earlier on Thursday held a virtual meeting with the franchises’ owners to take them into confidence about the unexpected delay of the chartered flights from South Africa and India.