Pakistan to allow spectators at PSL final

Next month's Pakistan Super League final will be open to fans, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on Saturday, after matches in the tournament were played behind closed doors due to a nationwide fuel shortage.

PSL T20 league games were shifted to empty stadiums in March as Pakistan imposed austerity measures to curb fuel consumption after energy supply disruptions linked to the Iran war.

"I requested (Pakistan) Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to allow spectators in the stadiums. While he was also inclined to permit fans, he emphasized that austerity measures are currently in place across Pakistan, with efforts under way to minimise fuel consumption," Naqvi said in a social media post.

"However, on the request of franchise owners, he has graciously approved the presence of fans for the PSL 11 Final. I sincerely thank him for this decision and for facilitating the fans."

The PSL league phase is drawing to a close, with teams playing the last of their 10 matches on Saturday. Peshawar Zalmi lead Multan Sultans in the standings, with Islamabad United also securing a playoff berth, leaving one place still to be decided.

The PSL final is scheduled to take place on May 3 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.

Pakistan is facing acute fuel pressures and rising costs after Iran war–linked fighting curtailed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil normally passes.

The country has emerged as a key intermediary between the United States and Iran, using its ties with both sides to facilitate indirect talks aimed at de‑escalating the conflict.