The Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) decision to scale down the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has sparked widespread outrage and meme frenzy among cricket enthusiasts, darwing heavily trolling for their decision.
Citing the ongoing oil crisis, the PCB has reduced the number of venues from six to two, with matches set to be played behind closed doors in two cities —Lahore and Karachi.
Apart from slashing down the number of venues, the PSL has decided to cancel the opening ceremony, as the league grapples with the global oil crisis and multiple player exits.
The move has been met with condemnation and mockery on social media, with fans dubbing the tournament the "Petrol Shortage League.”
PCB’s move invoked scathing reaction from the cricketing fraternity, with Iceland Cricket's witty remark on X (formerly Twitter) striking a chord and going viral.
"The PSL is coming up, and that is very exciting for many millions of cricket fans. We have always wondered what PSL stands for, and it turns out it means Petrol Shortage League," the account posted.
Meanwhile, in a bid to navigate Pakistan's crippling economic and forex reserves, the government has hiked the price of high-octane fuel by Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 200 from PKR 100 to PKR 300.
Pakistan has hiked fuel prices, with petrol now costing PKR 321.17 per litre from PKR 266.17; whereas, the diesel rate will be PKR 335.86 per litre from PKR 280.86 after the review.