Claim: The eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has been postponed following an attack on the Karachi police chief’s office on 17 February 2023. The Asia Cup cricket tournament is moving out of Pakistan.
Fact: PSL 8 has not been affected by the attack and will continue as scheduled, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board. A decision on the Asia Cup venue is expected in March 2023.
A terrorist attack took place at the Karachi police chief’s office at Shahrah-e-Faisal on 17 February 2023, killing five people and injuring at least 18.
Fact or Fiction?
On 18 February 2023, a Twitter user @DayWithNews claimed that the Pakistan Super League had been postponed for three days and it will take three days for security clearance.
Soch Fact Check found the claim to be false. The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed via a press release that PSL 8 will continue as scheduled.
The press release quoted PCB Chairman Najam Sethi as saying, “The HBL PSL 8 will continue as planned after it has been established and confirmed that Friday’s incident was an isolated one, which was unrelated to cricket.”
“We have been working very closely with all stakeholders, including the local and foreign security experts, who have provided assurances and comfort that the event can proceed as there was no threat to cricket,” he said.
Soch Fact Check also attended the match between Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars at the National Bank Cricket Arena on 19 February 2023.
Pakistan Super League kicked off on 13 February 2023, featuring six teams composed of local and international players. The 34-match tournament will take place between Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi, with the National Bank Cricket Arena hosting matches from 13 to 26 February.
Another user @Raj006 claimed that PSL 8 had been cancelled, and the Asia Cup is now moving out of Pakistan.
Pakistan currently has the hosting rights for the Asia Cup, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has said that the tournament should be held in a neutral venue because their team, India, will be unable to travel to Pakistan.
The uncertainty means that a final decision on whether Pakistan will host the 2023 Asia Cup is now expected in March, according to ESPN Cricinfo.
Established in 1983, the Asian Cricket Council Asia Cup is a men’s One Day International and Twenty20 International cricket tournament.
Virality:
Soch Fact Check observed that although @DayWithNews joined Twitter in February 2022, the account suddenly started tweeting in the evening of 17 February 2023.
@DayWithNews has posted multiple tweets, most of them about the Karachi Police Office attack, and almost all posts contain misleading and false information.
Soch Fact Check has investigated other claims related to the attack on Karachi Police Chief’s Office here and here.
Conclusion: The Pakistan Super League has not been postponed after the Karachi Police Office attack. Pakistan has the hosting rights for the 2023 Asia Cup, and a final decision on the venue is expected in March 2023.