Pakistan’s Interior Minister and Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board Mohsin Naqvi (AP Photo)

The Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed that the early phase of the Pakistan Super League 2026 will be played behind closed doors due to the tense regional situation stemming from the Iran–USA–Israel conflict. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced on Sunday that, despite the circumstances, the tournament will go ahead as scheduled from March 26, but without spectators in attendance. He also revealed that the competition has been scaled down to just two venues — Karachi and Lahore — instead of the originally planned six cities. “The PSL is an international brand and our pride. So, the league will be held on schedule from 26th March but no spectators will be allowed,” Naqvi said during a press conference, where he was joined by PSL CEO Salman Naseer. Naqvi stressed that the decision was not driven by security fears but rather by austerity measures introduced by the government in light of the ongoing crisis. “These decisions were taken because of the austerity measures announced by the government due to the situation in the region. I can tell you overseas players will start reaching Pakistan from tonight,” he added. The PCB has also scrapped the tournament’s opening ceremony in Lahore as part of cost-cutting steps. While the initial matches will be played without crowds, Naqvi indicated that spectators could return later in the tournament if the situation improves, saying the timeline depends on how long the crisis lasts. The broader impact of the West Asia conflict, including disruptions to oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, has led to a fuel crunch in Pakistan. As a result, the government has urged citizens to limit travel, with measures such as school closures, work-from-home policies, and extended Eid holidays already in place. Naqvi acknowledged the financial hit for franchises due to empty stadiums and said the board would compensate all eight teams by covering the expected gate revenue. Refunds will also be issued to fans who had already purchased tickets. He further explained that matches were removed from cities like Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, and Multan to avoid unnecessary travel and resource usage. However, he assured that these venues would be considered again in future editions. On the player front, Naqvi confirmed that the PCB’s legal team would take action against cricketers who withdrew from the PSL to join the Indian Premier League. “We will take action against those players according to the rules. There was a case last year too, and the same thing will happen this time,” he said. Despite the withdrawals, Naqvi maintained that the league continues to attract quality talent. “But you can see how top List A players are joining the PSL and that shows the growth of our league,” he added. The PSL 2026 season is scheduled to run from March 26 to May 3.

Climate activists have sounded a ‘wetland emergency’, as three key flamingo habitats in Navi Mumbai have turned toxic, with tests of water samples revealing alarming results.Activists flagged the deteriorating condition of the DPS, NRI, and T S Chanakya lakes at Nerul, which serve as satellite wetlands for the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS), a Ramsar site.Flamingo season in Navi Mumbai is from November to May, with January to March seen as the peak viewing time, as bird lovers and enthusiasts gather at wetlands to catch a glimpse of the pink parade.Water sample tests commissioned by the NatConnect Foundation indicate a system under severe stress, activists have stated in messages sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.The warning is reinforced by the absence of flamingos, which have not arrived this season, said B N Kumar, director of NatConnect Foundation.Four basic indicators – TDS, pH, BOD and COD – paint a consistent picture of decline. The results showed over-concentrated, stagnant water rather than natural tidal flushing.“Put simply, all four indicators tell the same story-the water is not moving as it should in a healthy intertidal wetland,” Kumar said, pointing to blocked or restricted tidal flow.Instead of being regularly flushed, the wetlands are turning into stagnant, polluted basins.Activists squarely blame governance failure.The City And Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) is “largely responsible for what has happened,” Climate activist Nandakumar Pawar said, adding that regulators such as the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority and the forest department have “simply looked the other way”.The wetlands, he warned, are a public asset being destroyed in plain sight.Flamingos depend on algae and microorganisms that thrive in balanced conditions. As water quality deteriorates, the food chain collapses, turning feeding grounds into stressed habitats.While flamingos have adapted to degraded sites in the past, their absence now suggests the system may have crossed a critical threshold.“These wetlands were our pride. Today, they are being destroyed in full view,” said Rekha Sankhala of Save Flamingos and Mangroves Forum, urging authorities to treat the situation as a public health emergency.Calling for accountability, Sandeep Sareen of Navi Mumbai Environment Preservation Society (NMEPS) said the lab results expose “toxic waters” driven by unchecked development.“CIDCO’s apathy – putting concrete over conservation – is destroying these wetlands despite court orders,” he said, warning that flamingos are “the canary in our ecosystem’s coal mine.” “CIDCO’s deliberate neglect in a time of climate crisis has put groundwater and biodiversity at risk, and we urge immediate government intervention to save these wetlands,” activist Pamela Cheema said.

While audiences are reeling from Ranveer Singh’s explosive performance in ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, a new viral video has ignited speculation regarding the “Aditya Dhar Cinematic Universe.” Fans have pointed out a startling connection involving Rakesh Bedi, who plays the cunning Jameel Jamali in the sequel. By digging into the credits and narrative crumbs of the 2019 blockbuster ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’, social media detectives have spotted overlapping character names and intelligence threads.

Rakesh Bedi’s ‘Uri’ connection with ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’

An X (formerly Twitter) user named Kshitiz Critic dropped a clip from ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike,’ after which netizens started decoding details from the movie’s credits and other clues. The post’s caption read, “Aditya Dhar already gave us the spoiler of #DhurandharTheRevenge in URI.”