The Emirates Cricket Board is likely to reject PCB’s request to host PSL 2025 matches in UAE because it doesn’t want to be perceived as an ‘ally’ of the Pakistani board.
UAE’s cricketing body, Emirates Cricket Board, is likely to reject Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s request to host Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 matches in the country. If it materialises, it’d be a major blow to the PCB, which has already announced that the second half of its T20 league will be hosted in the West-Asian nation.
According to a report in PTI, the UAE board has cited ‘security concerns potentially emanating from the rising tension between India and Pakistan’ as the reason. The report said the Emirates Cricket Board is ‘wary of being perceived as an ally of PCB’, which it believes hosting the PSL may suggest.
“The Emirates Cricket Board has enjoyed a strong relationship with BCCI in recent years having hosted the ‘India’ edition of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, editions of the IPL as well as India matches during ICC Champions Trophy 2025,” the mentioned source further stated in the report. “The UAE has a diverse South Asian population which enjoys cricket. Hosting a tournament like the PSL in the midst of such tense circumstances could vitiate harmony, pose security risks and stir unnecessary friction between communities,” the quoted source added.
The remaining matches in PSL 2025 include four league-stage games and playoffs, scheduled to be held in Rawalpindi, Multan and Lahore. According to top intelligence sources, the decision was taken after India unleashed a drone attack on Pakistan on Thursday, in retaliation for its targeting of military bases on the border, one of which struck the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
“The PCB has always stood by the position that politics and sports need to be kept apart,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Interior Minister in the Pakistan government, said in a statement.
“As a responsible organisation that has overcome adversities repeatedly and ensured that the game of cricket flourishes, it was important for us to ensure the mental well-being of all players participating in the HBL PSL. I regret that our domestic audience and cricket lovers will not be able to watch these matches in Pakistan’s stadiums,” he added.
