Pakistan cricket hit by political turmoil! PCB shifts President’s Trophy matches after emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has relocated ongoing President’s Trophy Grade 1 matches from Peshawar and Abbottabad due to the state of emergency and governor’s rule declared in the politically unstable Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. These changes are a response to the escalating political tensions involving the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The PCB has shifted the matches from Imran Khan Stadium in Peshawar and Abbottabad Cricket Stadium to venues in Sheikhupura and Lahore. Although the first-class competition nears its end, this relocation has disrupted the fixture list. The matches in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the other two host cities, will proceed as scheduled.

The emergency proclamation followed the approval of President Arif Alvi's federal cabinet recommendations. Consequently, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and some cabinet members were detained as per Pakistan’s junior interior minister Talal Chaudhry. The revised schedule starts with Ghani facing Hyderabad Kingsmen Academy at Rana Naveed Academy in Sheikhupura on October 14, and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) taking on Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) at LCCA Ground in Lahore on the same day.

The final round is now set to begin on October 19, with matches scheduled in Lahore, Islamabad, and the Diamond Club ground in Karachi. These venue alterations reflect the impact of the political instability in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the domestic cricket calendar.