NCOC Announces Its Decision on Crowd Participation in PSL 2022

The National Command Operation Center (NCOC) has finally announced its decision on crowd participation in the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

The forum had earlier allowed a 100 percent capacity in the stadiums for PSL 7 matches. However, the capacity has been reduced to 25 percent for Karachi-leg due to the rising COVID-19 cases in the metropolis. The decision about Lahore matches will be made later, after reviewing the situation.

As per the decision, about 8,000 cricket fans will be allowed in the stadium for each match in Karachi.

However, to ensure their health and safety as well as others attending the matches, entry will be subject to strict COVID-19 protocols, which are:

• Individuals above the age of 12 years must be fully vaccinated
• Valid vaccination certificates must be shown at the time of gaining access to the stadium
• Wearing masks inside the venue is mandatory
• Anyone violating the NCOC guidelines shall be liable to be evicted out of the stadium

The decision was made in a meeting between the PSL management and the officials of the NCOC to review the current COVID situation in Karachi and Lahore, the two host cities for the seventh season of PSL.

The PSL 2022 is set to start on 27 January in Karachi. However, Karachi is witnessing a severe resurgence of COVID-19, with the positivity ratio surging to 40 percent on Tuesday with 3,238 new cases during the past 24 hours.