In
a shocking incident, a fire broke out inside Karachi’s National Stadium just
two days before the start of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2022. No causalities
were reported.

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The
accident took place on Tuesday night when the preparations for the season
opener between Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans were going on.

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According
to a report on the Cricket Pakistan website, the fire broke out inside the
make-shift commentary box due to a short circuit in the power lines.

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“Following
this incident, a PCB spokesperson confirmed that a fire brigade vehicle and
personnel have been deployed at the stadium to deal with any emergency from now
onward,” said the report on the website.

A
preliminary investigation revealed that the commentary box, which is usually
present on the third floor of the stadium, was moved to the ground floor in
accordance with the bio-secure protocols. The broadcasters and commentators are
also part of the bio-secure bubble of the PSL.

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Meanwhile,
the opening game of PSL will see two former champions facing each other. While
Multan Sultans are the defending champions, Karachi Kings lifted the PSL 5
title.

The
match will see ICC T20 Cricketer of the Year Mohammad Rizwan leading his side
against Karachi captain Babar Azam, who has been named the ICC Men’s ODI player
of the year.

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“PSL
is different because unlike in national cricket and departmental cricket, you
will not see the same team for 3-4 years. The franchise cricket forces you to
retain only 8 players from the previous campaign and that is a tough ordeal,”
Rizwan expressed his delight to play the tournament.

Babar
Azam and Mohammed Rizwan were part of the Pakistan T20 World Cup team that
qualified for the semifinal, which they lost against Australia.  

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It must be noted that 25 % crowd will be allowed to watch matches from the National Stadium during the Karachi leg of the PSL. The PSL will be played at the National Stadium from January 27 to February 7.