The Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine is reaching its conclusion as the tournament has entered its decisive phase where no more than three matches are left to play.
Qualifier 1 of the PSL 9 was played between Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans on Thursday at the National Bank Stadium, Karachi. The teams consisted of two of Pakistan’s biggest names, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, but they played in front of an empty stadium, which became a matter of concern for many.
The PSL 9 was played across three other venues — Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi — and the crowd did show up there but there seemed to be little to no interest from the fans in Karachi.
As per ESPN Cricinfo, the PCB has no intentions of shifting the remaining matches to another venue as they opted for a home and away format for this season and Karachi is considered home for Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators.
While the Kings have been eliminated, Quetta is still in the tournament and shifting the tournament to Lahore, Rawalpindi or Multan at such short notice is nearly impossible at this point.
"We have moved to a home and away format," a senior official told ESPNcricinfo "and Karachi is home to the [Karachi] Kings and the [Quetta] Gladiators."
As things stand, there is no chance the PSL 9 final may be shifted to a different venue. However, inside the PCB, there is optimism that the crowd may show up in greater numbers in the later part of the tournament, eliminator 2 and the final specifically.
Remember, this will be the first time a PSL final will be played on a Monday. All the previous eight editions saw the conclusion of the tournament on the weekend, however, the PSL 9 has a rest day on Sunday.
Schedule of remaining PSL 9 matches
March 15, 2024, Eliminator 1, (Islamabad United vs Quetta Gladiators), National Bank Stadium
March 16, 2024, Eliminator 2 (Eliminator 1 Winner v Peshawar Zalmi), National Bank Stadium
March 18, 2024, Final, National Bank Stadium