The matches of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 will take place behind closed doors amid the ongoing crisis in West Asia, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi said on Sunday.
The number of venues for the tournament has been pruned to just two from the original number of six venues. The matches will now be held in Lahore and Karachi. The opening ceremony, which was scheduled to take place in Lahore on 26 March, has also been cancelled.
The PSL 2026 tournament will get underway with a game between Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen in Lahore on 26 March.
The ongoing political conflict in West Asia has led to an oil crisis globally, and Pakistan are one of the countries that have been significantly affected.
Mohsin Naqvi on PSL 2026 taking place behind closed doors
“The Prime Minister requested all of Pakistan to restrict their movements because of the fuel crisis,” Naqvi told mediapersons in Lahore.
“We closed schools and instituted work from home and increased the number of Eid holidays. We don’t know how long this war will last,” he added.
The 47-year-old admitted that it was a difficult decision to bar fans coming into stadiums for now.
“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 explained.
Naqvi also said that the PCB will compensate for the revenue loss that the franchise owners would face due to the empty crowds in the stadium. He also announced that the people who have purchased tickets to attend matches will be refunded.
He issued an apology to those cities which will be unable to host games because of the West Asia conflict. Peshawar was scheduled to host a PSL match for the very first time on 28 March, but that will not happen now that the venues have been restricted to just Lahore and Karachi. He assured that the PSL will take place in more venues next year.
“Because there are no crowds anyway, there was no reason to go to those cities. And we have to restrict our movements so resources are not wasted,” he said.
The upcoming season of the PSL will take place between 26 March and 3 May, and will see eight teams participate. Lahore Qalandars are the defending champions, after having beaten Quetta Gladiators by six wickets in the final of PSL 2025.
