The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has encountered a massive setback just days before the scheduled start of PSL 2026. Beyond the loss of several international stars to the IPL, the board has now announced a drastic scaling back of the tournament's scope. During a press conference on March 22, PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that the league will be played entirely behind closed doors, with no spectators allowed in the stadiums.
PSL 2026 to be played behind closed doors
The geographical reach of the tournament has also been severely restricted. While the event was originally slated to take place across six cities, Multan, Peshawar, Faisalabad, Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Lahore, it will now be confined to only Karachi and Lahore. Naqvi cited the ongoing regional crisis and a nationwide fuel shortage as the primary reasons for these austerity measures, noting the need to minimise travel and large public gatherings.
ALSO READ: RR find Sam Curran's replacement as star player leaves PSL to join Royals ahead of IPL 2026
PSL opening ceremony cancelled
Not just this, PSL 2026 opening ceremony has also been officially cancelled. Despite these challenges, the PCB maintains that the tournament will proceed on its original schedule, starting March 26, to protect the league's credibility and avoid a total postponement. The board has also committed to compensating franchises for the loss of gate revenue and providing full refunds to fans who had already purchased tickets.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has kept the door open for spectators to return during the tournament's final phases. However, he clarified that any decision to allow crowds would depend entirely on the resolution of the ongoing "crisis" in Iran.
"Perhaps it ends in 10 days, perhaps 15," he said, as quoted by Espncricinfo.
"The Prime Minister requested all of Pakistan to restrict their movements because of the fuel crisis. 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.
"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 added.
In an effort to mitigate the financial impact of these changes, Naqvi announced that the PCB will compensate franchise owners for the lost gate receipts, which constitute a major portion of their revenue. Additionally, he guaranteed that all fans who had previously purchased tickets for the tournament will receive full refunds. Naqvi also offered a formal apology to the cities stripped of their hosting rights.
"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 concluded.