LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan’s biggest sports spectacle of the year started behind closed doors Thursday with fans staying home because of soaring fuel prices related to the Iran war.
In the opening game of the Pakistan Super League season, defending champion Lahore Qalandars notched a 69-run win over first-timers Hyderabad Kingsmen in an empty Gaddafi Stadium.
It was supposed to be Pakistan’s biggest-ever domestic Twenty20 competition with several foreign cricketers competing.
Pakistan’s government has urged people to restrict travel and to work from home because of rising fuel prices.
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi said it wouldn’t be right to have 30,000 fans attending cricket matches every day while the government is asking the public to stay home.
The PCB reduced the number of PSL venues from six to two as part of austerity measures and barred spectators from PSL games at Lahore and Karachi.
Just a handful of people, mostly from the eight franchises, witnessed the opening game. The PCB invited Chief Minister of Punjab province Maryam Nawaz to grace the first match of the 39-day long tournament. The Chief Minister watched the game for some time with officials of the PCB.
The PCB has also encouraged fans to watch from home. To make up for empty stadiums, crowd noise was simulated during the live TV broadcast as Lahore scored 199-6.
Opening batter Fakhar Zaman became second player in the PSL history to complete 3,000 runs and made 53 off 39 balls after Lahore captain Shaheen Shah Afridi won the toss and elected to bat.
In reply, Hyderabad, which is captained by Marnus Labuschagne of Australia, was restricted to 130-9 with fast bowlers Haris Rauf (2-22), Ubaid Shah (2-27), Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh (1-19) and Afridi (1-28) collecting wickets.
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