Pakistan Tells Cricket Fans Stay Home as Fuel Shortage Bites

Quiet roads in Islamabad after the government of Pakistan declared a three-day public holiday due to a shortage of petrol and diesel in the country, on March 13.Photographer: Muhammed Semih Ugurlu/Anadolu/Getty Images

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By Bilal Hussain and Dan Murtaugh

March 23, 2026 at 12:25 AM UTC

Updated on

March 23, 2026 at 9:49 AM UTC

Pakistan has ordered fans of its top cricket tournament to stay home and watch matches on television to conserve fuel as disruptions from the Middle East war continue to batter the South Asian nation’s economy.

The Pakistan Super League, the nation’s biggest sporting event, that runs from March 26 to May 3, has shifted to a watch-from-home model, the organizer said in a statement after consulting with the government. Venues have been reduced to two from six, with all matches now being staged in Lahore and Karachi.