Not PCB, Petrol Prices Running PSL: How Fuel Shortage in Pakistan Killed Super League’s Vibe

When the Pakistan Super League (PSL) held its first-ever auctions and increased the number of teams from six to eight, it seemed like the league’s footprint was finally increasing. But then the US-Israel war on Iran literally crumbled the league, and people are now calling it the “Petrol Shortage League” (PSL). It seems like it’s not the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), but rather petrol prices that are running the PSL.

As the tournament kicked off on March 26, 2026, the festive “vibe” typically associated with the league was conspicuously absent, replaced by a “watch-from-home” mandate. What was meant to be a grand expansion has instead turned into a logistical survival mission.

From Six-City Plan to Lahore-Karachi Squeeze

The league was finally supposed to travel to parts it had not been to before, like Faisalabad and Peshawar. Even Multan and Rawalpindi were to get more games than usual, with the two metropolises, Lahore and Karachi, serving as the main venues. People were even hoping that after this season, the PSL’s range would broaden and neglected cricket hubs like Quetta, Hyderabad, and the newly formed Sialkot would also get much-needed limelight.

But as things stand, the tournament—following Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif’s request to conserve dwindling fuel reserves—has been turned into a “Covid-style” event. PCB Chair Mohsin Naqvi overhauled the tournament’s entire structure just days before the start.

Why is the PSL happening in only Lahore and Karachi?

To minimize the “logistical footprint,” the board condensed all 44 matches into just two venues: Gaddafi Stadium (Lahore) and National Bank Stadium (Karachi). By eliminating inter-city travel for teams like the newly debuted Hyderabad Kingsmen and Rawalpindi Pindiz, the PCB aimed to save millions in fuel and security convoy costs.

This crisis is compounded by the geopolitical chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime artery through which nearly all of Pakistan’s petroleum imports flow. With the conflict escalating, tankers are stranded, and the physical supply of fuel has reached a critical low, forcing all matches to be played behind closed doors. The government deemed it contradictory to ask citizens to “work from home” to save fuel while inviting 30,000 fans to drive to a stadium.

The India-Pakistan, IPL-PSL Comparison

While fuel is scarce due to the war in the Gulf, the situation highlights how India’s and Pakistan’s economies—especially their cricket economies—are worlds apart. While India has managed to keep fuel prices relatively stable, Pakistan has seen a staggering 21% hike in a single window.

Further, while the IPL with 10 teams will go on in full swing across more than 10 cities, the PSL—in its first-ever edition with eight teams and a grandeur of foreign stars—has been forced to go docile because of the dampening effect of the country’s economic crisis