Amidst the PCB’s measures that have led to behind-closed-doors competitions in the PSL, the Islamabad United owner has provided a new dimension of explanation, claiming that Pakistan was busy providing global peace and considered it more important than allowing fans into stadiums.
Shocking scenes have been seen in the Pakistan Super League on many occasions in the past. One of the infamous scenes of the PSL 2024 final was the empty stands during the final match of the season, which should have had a packed crowd, as is often seen in other franchise leagues like the IPL or SA20.
Mohsin Naqvi and the PCB’s earlier claims of taking the PSL to a new level from 2026 were ruined when they announced that the matches would only be played at two venues, ruling out other potential cities. He had further announced that these matches will be played without any crowd and people will be able to watch the matches on screens from their homes.
Islamabad United owner wants massive credit as he links empty PSL to global peace
PSL is being played behind closed doors; Everyone knows this. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board’s no-crowd policy has been given a new lease of life by the owners of one of the participating franchises.
Islamabad United’s owner, Ali Naqvi, has linked this policy to the country’s participation in the ceasefire discussions between the United States and Iran, a war which has caused massive ramifications in the Middle East and, as a result, other allied countries.
He suggested that Pakistan consider serving the global interest more than allowing fans to enter stadiums. He further mentioned that Rawalpindi was not chosen as a venue, as Islamabad was considered for the talks, and they wanted to have flexibility in logistics.
Dear @thePSLt20 fan,
The latest announcements on the Iran ceasefire and Pakistan’s important role in it finally explain why crowds were not allowed in stadiums this season.
Not hosting the matches at Pindi is completely understandable – Islamabad was clearly the venue chosen for…– Ali Naqvi (@AliNaqvi808) 8 April 2026
Ali Naqvi refutes PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi’s earlier claims about PSL
However, their latest clarification has contradicted the PCB’s earlier stance which they had declared when they announced this closed door policy. PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi had then said that this was a step taken due to the fuel crisis in the country.
He had claimed that the decision was taken by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, as the travel of so many people would lead to a major depletion of fuel reserves in the country. Fuel prices in Pakistan have reached an all-time high and the government is facing severe criticism for this.
However, his statements appear to be a direct dig at global rival IPL, as he claimed that countries that have supported leagues with stadiums full of people have not faced the same regional tensions as Pakistan.
From fuel shortage to foreign policy: Explanation turned into hyperbole
Although it was a carefully planned move by the PSL franchise owner to manipulate the entire incident to his advantage, his intentions would not do justice to the country’s objective of emerging as a global peace-loving front.
While it makes sense that a high-level diplomatic visit to a country would lead to increased security measures, not allowing fans to watch matches in stadiums for such reasons seems to fall short of logic.
By making a small issue of fuel shortage into a claim of providing global peace, it seemed like a good effort to attract attention, but it clearly looks more like propaganda than any explanation for a matter which was previously explained thoroughly by the PCB chief.
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