The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that the ninth edition of the Pakistan Super League will be held in four cities: Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Multan. It is reported that the opening match is to be played on February 18 in Lahore.
Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced following a meeting of the PSL general council here that it would seek formal advice from the government on finalizing the PSL-9 dates due to the February 8 general elections. The Pakistan Super League is usually held between February 19-20 and March 20-21 each year.
There are also objections to scheduling double-headers during the holy month of Ramadan in March. The PCB plans to disclose the schedule during the PSL draft event on December 13.
It should be mentioned that there was a proposal to shift the PSL to the UAE due to the country’s general elections. The PCB, however, has ultimately opted to hold the full event in Pakistan.
One problematic issue concerns the proposed final, which is slated for March 19 in Karachi. Teams are concerned about the impact of low audience attendance on ticket revenue. In response, the Multan Sultans have proposed hosting the final in Multan, expressing confidence that a large crowd will fill the stadium.
According to the sources, Peshawar Zalmi is adamant about holding matches in Peshawar, claiming that the stadium’s construction will be completed in two months. Nonetheless, the PCB is still to make a judgment on Peshawar’s selection as a host city.
The PSL 2024 draft will be held on December 13 in Lahore. The PSL uses a draft mechanism is used to choose players. Unlike the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, the PSL draft requires each team to select players from five categories: Platinum, Diamond and Gold, Silver, and Emerging. They must have at least four Pakistani and four international players. Each team could have between 16 and 20 players in their squad.
Experienced international Dawid Malan and Reeza Hendricks are among the international players on the draft roster.
Sri Lanka spinner Maheesh Theekshana, Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, West Indies T20 skipper Rovman Powell and veteran batter Kieron Pollard have declared themselves available for the draft and the teams will look to strengthen their team in the upcoming draft.
