PSL: Pakistan's T20 League - finally

It is the era of T20 cricket and certainly the game of cricket has burgeoned after the advent of the shortest format. Different T20 leagues have also attracted the world’s attention and Pakistan, who are on a recovery to bring back international cricket home, have also (finally) announced that they will hold their first ever premier T20 league in 2016.

Initially supposed to begin March 2013, Pakistan’s T20 League (official name not announced yet) was thought to be launched in 2008, 2012 and 2014, postponing every time hitherto on account of security and legislative issues and international cricket boards no allowing their players to play in Pakistan.

According to a PCB official present at the meeting on Saturday in Lahore, the cricket board had finally conceded that it would not be able to host the PSL in Pakistan and its temporary home, the UAE, had been finalized as the venue for the event. Our T20 League, the official said, would only be successful with the participation of foreign players and their reluctance to visit Pakistan had left the board with no choice but to organize the league abroad on a neutral venue.

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Rumors of the UAE being finalized as the venue for the PSL surfaced this week with Sports 360 quoting a senior PCB official as saying that they had already hired big-name consultants Repucom to help with organizing the event. Repucom works with sports federations and clubs and its clients include the English Premier League, UEFA and FIFA and it has reportedly suggested that the inaugural PSL be a five-team only event.

Sources claim that February 2016 has been chosen as the window for Pakistan’s T20 league with the event being played on a span of 16-17 days. Six franchises will participate in the inaugural edition each having a Pakistani player as their ‘star player’.

Pakistan Super League (PSL) – the name initially chosen for the league by PCB was discarded and the PCB has announced to name it with a new and unique name. The board has asked the cricket fans to help them with it and one of the lucky fans, in return, may get a prize worth PKR 10,000.