Multan Sultans are set to lose one of their home fixtures in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) following the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to move their match against Karachi Kings on May 1 to Lahore. The decision was made as part of a wider rescheduling plan aimed at reducing operational challenges amid the immediate rise in temperatures across the country, especially in Southern Punjab, where Multan is located.
In addition to the shifting of the Sultans vs Kings match, Multan’s home fixture versus Quetta Gladiators has been postponed by one day and will now be played on May 11. Both games were originally meant to be played in the afternoon at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Temperatures in the city rise to the mid-40s degrees Celsius during afternoons, which would have made playing games exceedingly difficult.
Further complicating the scenario is the departure of nearly 30 production staff members from India, following deteriorating diplomatic relations between the two neighboring countries. Their exit has placed an extra burden on tournament logistics, which the PCB has stated among the reasons for the mid-season change in the schedule.
“The decision has been taken after multiple discussions with all stakeholders and keeping in mind the operational ease and recent heat waves in certain parts of the country.” the PCB said in a media release.
Lahore, the new venue for the Sultans vs Karachi game, is experiencing only marginally less intense weather, raising questions about the effectiveness of the relocation.
Additionally, it is understood that Multan Sultans expressed severe dissatisfaction with the relocation move. They proposed shifting the game against Karachi Kings to May 6 in a bid to retain their home advantage. However, Karachi Kings rejected this suggestion, arguing that it would require them to play three consecutive matches in three different cities over five days, without a single rest day in between.
In the end, the PCB decided to maintain the initial match date but confirmed the relocation of the venue. According to reports, Multan were still not fully satisfied with this setting, and understandably so. Their home record is immaculate and holds more significance for them this season as they are getting thrashed left, right, and center.
They are currently sitting at the bottom of the table with only a couple of points and a negative net run rate. Their only win came against Lahore Qalandars at their home venue.
Multan Sultans, who prior to this season made it to the PSL final in each of the last four editions and won the title in 2021, might be fast approaching a premature exit from the tournament.
It is interesting to note that the April-May window isn’t the PSL’s usual timeframe. Since its inception, the tournament has normally been played in February-March, during the country’s spring season. However, because Pakistan was scheduled to host the Champions Trophy during that window this year, the PSL had to be postponed by almost a month. This scheduling plan placed it in direct competition with the IPL, leading to the absence of many PSL regulars this year.
