PSL 2020 Postponed Due to Coronavirus
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The Business | SPOWeRdnesdTay , SMarch 181, 20 19 Archer condemns racist abuse after being targeted online Financial fears spur Australian sport to play on despite virus LONDON: England fast bowler Jofra Archer has posted an image of racist abuse he received on social media and called on au - thorities to deal with the issue properly. The 24-year-old Barbados- born paceman, who helped England win the 50-overs World Cup last year, posted an image of the message he received on In - stagram and said he could not understand why someone would make such comments. "I (have) given a lot of thought about reacting to this and I hope no one else has to deal with stuff like this on a regular basis, it isn't ever acceptable and should be addressed properly in my opinion," Archer wrote on Instagram. "I will never understand how people feel so freely to say these things to another human being, it baffles me." Earlier this year, New Zealand Cricket banned a sup - porter from attending international and domestic matches in the country for two years after he admitted racially abusing Archer during a test in November. Archer has been out of action since January with an elbow injury. —Reuters British horse racing suspended until end of April LONDON: British horse racing will be suspended until the end of April because of the spread of coron - avirus, the British Horseracing Authority said. “This is a na - SYDNEY: As events are scrapped around tional emergency the the world to counter the threat of coronavirus, like of which most of a handful of Australia's main sports are us have never seen be - doggedly pressing ahead, spurred by fear of fore. We’re a sport financial ruin. that is proud of its connection to rural communities and to PSL 2020 postponed While major competitions elsewhere have the local businesses that support our industry," said au - suspended their seasons in hopes of curbing thority Chief Executive Nick Rust. "But our first duty is to the pandemic, rugby league and football have the health of the public, our customers and to racing in - chosen to continue playing to empty stadiums dustry participants and staff so we have decided to suspend after the government banned public gatherings racing following the government’s latest advice." — due to coronavirus of more than 500 people. Players from the Reuters country's most popular spectator sport, Aus - Alex Hales says he’s in self-isolation, likely to be tested today tralian Rules (AFL), have stated they too want Australia bans public from The Business Report to carry on, with a decision still pending on whether games are played this week as sched - athletes LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League uled. At stake is not only Australian fans' deep has been called off with the knockouts to thirst for watching their favourite teams, but base due to go, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) an - lucrative broadcast commitments, with televi - virus nounced on Tuesday. sion money their lifeblood. "PSL 2020 postponed, to be resched - Making matters worse, the spiralling virus uled. More details to follow in due threat has struck at the start of the season for MELBOURNE: course," the PCB said in a post on Twitter. rugby league and AFL -- both big industries Australian authorities Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was in in their own right. The National Rugby have banned the public agreement with the PCB and added that League (NRL) only kicked off last weekend from the national sports the decision should have been given a and the AFL is due to get underway on Thurs - institute in Canberra as week ago as matches, which were being day. According to Sydney's Daily Telegraph, part of efforts to reduce played behind closed doors, had lost their every weekend of rugby league is worth the risk of athletes con - charm. "It is at this time of hour we needed around Aus$1.2 million (US$740,000) to each tracting the coronavirus to do what the world was doing. The PCB of the 16 clubs in TV rights, not to mention in the leadup to the Tokyo Olympics. The curbs at the Aus - should have called off the tournament a ticket sales, corporate hospitality, merchan - tralian Institute of Sports (AIS) campus in Canberra start week ago as without the crowd it was no ments" The knockout matches of PSL were other in the evening fixture. The final of dise, and food and beverage income. from Wednesday, chief executive Peter Conde said. "We fun," Akhtar said. Former cricketer Sikan - scheduled to be played in Lahore today, the tournament was rescheduled to be don’t underestimate the value of the AIS campus to the com - "BIG TROUBLE" In confirming round der Bakht suggested that the unfinished however, the remaining matches including played tomorrow after the PCB moved two would go ahead without fans, Australian munity, particularly Canberra’s community, and we have tournament can be concluded before the Wednesday’s final has been postponed the tournament up to March 18 from every intention of resuming business as usual when we see Rugby League Commission chairman Peter start of the next year. He said that despite now. In the first semi-final Multan Sultans March 22. A day earlier, the Pakistan and V'landys warned of dire consequences to the it appropriate," Conde said in a statement on Tuesday. the incomplete tournament, the PSL 2020 were set to face Peshawar Zalmi at 2pm at Bangladesh had decided to postpone the "However, with preparations continuing for the Tokyo viability of a sport seen as part of Australia's "achieved its target of showing the world the Gaddafi Stadium, while Karachi Kings upcoming one-day international and Test social fabric. "I can't stress enough that our Olympics and Paralympics later this year, we are doing that Pakistan is safe to stage major tourna - and Lahore Qalandars were set to face each in Karachi for a later date. everything we can to support Australia’s athletes, coaches game has never faced such challenges. The and sports to minimise any disruption to their training. "Our longer it takes, the more pressure on our fi - Australian athletes have been training much of their lives for nancial viability," he said. "Our money will this opportunity to represent their country and we thank the Years of continuous only last so long, and once it's extinguished, community for their understanding in these uncertain times." soccer on the cards on we are in big trouble." Broadcasters do not Australia's major sports have banned fans from stadiums in have to pay if games aren't played, the NRL the wake of a government advisory discouraging gatherings the back of potential said on its website, and V'landys has urged the of 500 or more people on Monday. Organisers have said the government to help the sport as part of its Tokyo Games will go ahead as planned from July 24 but the Euros postponement nearly $18 billion coronavirus economic stim - event has been thrown into doubt by the outbreak of the ulus package. The NRL announced a Aus$30 million surplus in its most recent financial re - coronavirus, which has infected more than 160,000 and ROME: Tuesday is decision day on soc - killed over 7,000 people worldwide. —Reuters cer's European Championship but if the coro - sults, but its reserves won't last long if games navirus epidemic forces it to be postponed are cancelled and salaries still need to be paid. Rugani 'doing well' after until next year, as is widely expected, it will Phil Gould, an influential ex-player, coach, be only the first of many such calls to be made administrator and current television pundit, coron - on the sport's ravaged calendar. questioned why the game's financial model European soccer's governing body UEFA had not left it with a bigger war chest. "We've avirus di - is holding a teleconference call with all 55 got to learn from what we've done in the past agnosis member associations on Tuesday and, amid and ask ourselves why we are so vulnerable as pressure to find time to complete the major a code right at the moment because we have domestic leagues that are all currently sus - to close down for a season," he said. Some MILAN: Juventus pended, shifting the Euros back a year looks players have voiced concerns about games defender Daniele Ru - the most obvious first step. A decision is ex - going ahead, saying the cancellation of global gani, the first Italian pected to be announced late in the European events, including the Australian Grand Prix top-flight footballer di - afternoon. Currently set to be held in 12 ven - after a McLaren team member tested positive, agnosed with coron - ues, with the semi-finals and final in London, should be setting off alarm bells. avirus, said he was it would obviously be a logistical and finan - NRL chief Todd Greenberg said he had lis - "doing well" and hoped cial challenge but one that UEFA would be tened to all opinions, but "it remains our plan his case "served to sensitise everyone" to the illness. "I'm fine, confident of carrying off. Next year, however, to continue to play games in round two this I reassure everyone. I've always been quite well, I haven't had is far from being the "fallow year" many peo - weekend". any serious symptoms. I consider myself lucky," Rugani told ple think. The women's European Champi - DOOMSDAY SCENARIO: The mas - Juventus TV.