Drone attack forces PSL match cancellation in Rawalpindi; League may shift out of Pak

New Delhi, May 8 (IANS) The Pakistan Super League (PSL) match between Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings, scheduled for Thursday evening at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, has been cancelled after Indian Armed Forces targeted the Air Defence Radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan, including Rawalpindi. PCB officials have suggested shifting all the remaining matches of PSL to abroad -- Doha or Dubai.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stated on Wednesday that PSL would proceed as planned despite India’s attack and rising tensions between the two nations. However, the situation has swiftly evolved following renewed Indian assaults.

"A PSL match in Rawalpindi was cancelled following a drone attack, leaving foreign players in deep shock. The match was tonight. Many are now seeking to leave the country as soon as possible. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will decide after consulting with the government," a former Pakistan cricketer told IANS.

In the early hours of May 7, India launched precision strikes targeting nine high-value terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (Pok), in response to the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives—25 Indians and one Nepali national.

On the night of May 7-8, Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets in Northern and Western India, including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj, using drones and missiles.

India on Thursday morning targeted the Air Defence Radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan, during which the one at Lahore has been neutralised, said the government in a statement.

According to the Pakistan media, PCB has called for an urgent meeting with PSL franchises on Thursday at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore to discuss the possible options for conducting the remaining PSL.

According to the Geo Super report, with the current national circumstances in mind, the PCB is considering several options to avoid any hiccup in PSL 10 as well as the upcoming home T20I series against Bangladesh.

--IANS

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