The group was originally slated to take a chartered flight to Abu Dhabi, but it seems there was a late change in plan
Five persons from this PSL contingent were cleared to fly, while the others had to return to their hotels where they have been in quarantine since May 24.
As the PCB prepares to hold the remainder of PSL 2021 in the UAE, a batch of more than 25 individuals from both cities was supposed to travel to the UAE on a chartered plane. But the PCB, in a late decision, instead opted to put them on commercial flights, which nullified the quarantine protocols already in place. ESPNcricinfo could not establish what prompted the sudden change in travel plans.
In all, 202 players, support staff and tournament officials from Pakistan – that is, 57 persons from Karachi and 145 from Lahore – are already in Abu Dhabi for the tournament, flown over on a special chartered flight on May 27. ESPNcricinfo has learnt that there remain multiple individuals, including the franchise support staff, who are yet to get UAE visas though.
Overall, over 270 personnel – both Pakistani and overseas – are in Abu Dhabi and have already started quarantine, a basic requirement before entering the tournament’s bio-secure bubble. The quarantine periods vary based on the country from which the persons have travelled: the batches from Pakistan are meant to spend seven days in quarantine from the day of check-in, while those from South Africa and India – the latter as part of the production crew – have to undergo ten days isolation.
Had things gone to plan, the PCB intended to restart the league no later than June 5. But with several pending issues, there is still no certainty over the the schedule of fixtures. With every passing day, the available window continues shrinking – the Pakistan team is set to fly to England on June 22, meaning the PSL needs to wind up before then. ESPNcricinfo has learnt that the remainder of the tournament – as things stand, 20 matches out of 34 remain to be played in the season – might be truncated to fit it within the available window.
Umar Farooq is ESPNcricinfo’s Pakistan correspondent