Multan to lose Karachi Kings fixture after PCB overrules objections

Multan Sultans will play one fewer game at home after the PCB announced their clash against Karachi Kings on May 1 will be played in Lahore instead. It is one of two games affected by a reschedule, with Sultans' home match against Quetta Gladiators pushed back by a day to May 11.

The PCB said the decision was taken due to "operational ease and recent heatwaves in certain parts of the country". Multan, the warmest of the four cities hosting the tournament, was due to host both of the rescheduled games in the afternoon, one of which will take place in Lahore while the other moves to the evening.

However, Lahore has also been affected by extremely hot weather, with temperatures only about 3 degrees cooler on average than Multan. Further exacerbating logistical challenges was the departure of more than two dozen members of the production crew hailing from India earlier this week, in the wake of deteriorating diplomatic relations between the two countries.

ESPNcricinfo has learned the decision has left Sultans feeling extremely frustrated. In talks with the PCB, Sultans proposed moving the game against Kings to May 6 in a bid to ensure they did not lose the advantage of playing at home. However, Kings objected to that proposal, saying it would disadvantage them. Had the game been played on that day, Kings would have played three games at three different venues across five days. They argued it left them with no rest for five days in a row, with each day a match or travel day.

It was left to the PCB to mediate, who ended up deciding to stick to the original date for the Sultans-Kings game. Sultans are understood to be upset that the decision was communicated to them fait accompli, providing no further window for discussion or negotiation, and depriving them of a game at home against Kings. The PCB has defended its position, acknowledging Sultans' disappointment but maintaining any alternate schedule would have resulted in fixture disruption for more teams.

Sultans, who made each of the last four PSL finals and won the tournament in 2021, have endured a horror first half to the PSL. They sit bottom of the table, having lost five of their first six games, and likely need to win all remaining matches to have a realistic chance of making the playoffs.