Lahore: Former Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar has said that few franchise owners in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) are looking to sell their teams in the wake of coronavirus pandemic that has hit the entire world hard.
The knockout stage of the 2020 edition of Pakistan’s domestic T20 league was postponed in March due to the ongoing crisis and Akhtar believes the tournament can’t take place again for a considerable amount of time.
“I know some people wouldn’t like to hear this but some owners are looking to sell their franchisees. I would be more than happy to provide financial and non-monetary support to keep the PSL alive and to thrive,” Akhtar told a TV channel as per pakpassion.net.
“I think if we do the math, the PSL can’t be held before 16 to 18 months. The World Cup will also take probably after eight months because time is needed for the coronavirus issue to settle down.
“The thing is if there is no proper cricket until say September, how can the PSL be held in four months? I don’t think the board can ask for money from the franchisees in this situation.
“As far as I know some franchises are already ready to sell their brand. They have offers,” he said.
Not just the PSL but other domestic T20 leagues around the world have also suffered due to the global pandemic. The 13 edition of the Indian Premier League also stands postponed indefinitely amid the COVID-19 pandemic which has claimed more than 3.75 lakh lives across the world so far.
IANS