PSL 2018 schedule forwarded to franchise owners for confirmation

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is a celebrated T20 cricket tournament in Pakistan and is widely followed all over the nation. The event is into its third season and the hype can already be seen in the South Asian country. The draft for the T20 extravaganza was held at Lahore earlier in November where several marquee players were drafted in by the six franchises.

The likes of Christopher Henry Gayle and Kumar Sangakkara opted out from playing in the final of the second season at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. However, amidst the chaos, the game was staged where Darren Sammy-led Peshawar Zalmi comprehensively steamrolled Quetta Gladiators by 58 runs.

Recently, sources on Geo.tv confirmed that the opening match of the third season will be played on the 22nd February, 2018 while the final will be staged on the 25th March. The games will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Pakistan. The sources also said that the schedule will be issued in a week’s time.

A lease of life for Pakistan cricket

The Karachi National Stadium is undergoing a renovation and therefore hosting of the PSL matches by the ground remains under the clouds. Nevertheless, the third edition is speculated to be another fascinating event for Pakistan cricket. Cricket in Pakistan has gone through rough patches for quite a while now, owing to political strains and security concerns.

Quite justifiably, teams were reluctant to visit the nation. However, the recent tours of the Faf du Plessis-led World XI side and the Sri Lankan team have infused a new lease of life to cricket in the war-stricken Asian country. With the PSL and the international tours taking place in the last couple of months, fans in Pakistan can remain optimistic regarding the smooth conduct of the game in Pakistan.