Jan 12, 2022: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will not hold the extravagant opening ceremony of the seventh season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) due to the increase in corona virus cases, and the expenses incurred by the franchisees.

Instead, the board will hold a small-scale event at the start of the PSL 7 opening match, dubbed the “curtain raiser,” a PCB spokesman said according to a report by the Business Recorder on Tuesday. The official added that the board has decided against holding the extravagant event due to the increase in the number of cases of Covid 19 and logistical issues.

“The cost of the opening ceremony, which is millions of rupees, is incurred by franchises, which increases their expenditure and reduces profit. Therefore, we have decided to hold only a low-scale curtain-raiser this year,” he said.

The brief ceremony will also include a speech by PCB Chairman Rameez Raja after which the first match of the tournament will be played. The opening match will be played on January 27 at the National Stadium Karachi between defending champions Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings.

This will be the first time since the start of the league that the marquee tournament has started without a proper opening ceremony. The first four opening ceremonies were held in Dubai while the opening ceremony of the fifth season was held in Karachi. Last year’s opening ceremony was also not shown live. It was pre-recorded in Turkey and played for spectators in the stadium.

The seventh edition of PSL will start on January 27 and concludes on February 27. The first 15 matches will be played in Karachi from January 27 to February 7, while the remaining 19 matches will be held in Lahore from February 10 to 27.

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