The Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be played behind closed doors this season due to Pakistan's severe fuel crisis, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed. Only Lahore and Karachi will host matches, scrapping the original plan for six cities. The opening ceremony in Lahore on Thursday will also be cancelled.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi stated the decision was unavoidable because of soaring oil prices, triggered by regional conflict, forcing citizens to restrict movement. 'We can't ask people to restrict their movements and then have 30,000 people in stadiums every day,' Naqvi explained. 'This was a difficult decision, but it needed to be made.' Naqvi consulted the Prime Minister and franchises before finalizing the move to empty venues.