Islamabad United’s owner, Ali Naqvi, just came out with the real story behind why this season’s Pakistan Super League is happening without fans in the stands. It’s not what the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi had told everyone. The PCB put it down to a “fuel shortage.” But when Ali hopped onto X, he tied the decision straight to Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts on the world stage.
He explained that Pakistan put peace and security ahead of sports this time, especially given their involvement in brokering the US-Iran ceasefire.
“PSL fans, the recent news about the Iran ceasefire and Pakistan’s huge role in it finally shows why we couldn’t have big crowds at games this season. Not hosting matches in Pindi made sense — Islamabad was picked for sensitive ceasefire talks, and the unpredictable schedule meant we had to be flexible with logistics and security,” Ali said.
He added, “Letting crowds gather in other cities would’ve pulled security teams away from something much bigger. When you’ve got to choose between entertainment and helping secure global peace, I think every Pakistani would back the same decision.”
PSL 2026 shrank from six venues to just two — all games now happen in Lahore and Karachi. Even the grand opening ceremony at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium was scrapped because of the US-Iran conflict.
“Pakistan Super League will kick off on March 26 like we planned. We need to protect the league’s reputation and couldn’t find another window for the games,” Naqvi told reporters in Lahore.
He also had an apology for fans in Peshawar who were all set to catch PSL action for the first time: “Sorry to the Peshawar crowd. I hope we bring you more matches next season.”
