IPL, PSL should be postponed amid Covid-19 pandemic: Shoaib Akhtar

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar believes that the ongoing Indian Premier League and upcoming Pakistan Super League should be postponed due to the alarming situation, in India and Pakistan, due to Covid-19 pandemic.

While speaking on his official YouTube channel, Akhtar said that saving human lives is more important than cricket.

“India is facing a devastating situation. They need to stop the IPL if it can’t continue without strict SOPs in place but otherwise, considering that India is burning, it needs to be postponed. I’m not saying this because PSL was postponed. I also think PSL shouldn’t take place in June,” said Akhtar.

“IPL is not important and the money spent on it can be better used to buy oxygen tanks. That can save people from dying. We don’t need cricket, heroes and entertainment at the moment. We want to save lives in India and Pakistan. I’m using these strong words because human lives are at stake,” he added.

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He also urged the government to enforce curfew in Pakistan, considering that people are not following the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).   

“Pakistan is right on the edge, there is only 10 per cent oxygen capacity left. People are not following SOPs. I request the government to enforce curfew for the last 10-15 days [of Ramadan]. There is no need to go out for Eid shopping. People need to very careful and take care of themselves,” he concluded.

Pakistan recorded another day of high fatalities due to Covid-19 with at least 118 deaths recorded during the 24-hour period and as many as 5,611 new cases, the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) reported on Sunday.

The country's tally for confirmed cases has now reached 795,627 whereas the death toll stands at 17,117.

Meanwhile, India's number of Covid-19 cases surged by 349,691 on Sunday, a new global record, and hospitals in Delhi and across the country are turning away patients after running out of medical oxygen and beds.

India's tally of infections stands at 16.96 million with 192,311 deaths.