PCB and franchises reaffirm commitment to hold PSL 2020 entirely on Pakistan soil

Waseem Ahmed 16:47 06/08/2019
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  • The fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) could be held entirely on Pakistan soil after all six franchises reaffirmed their commitment towards the plan proposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

    According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, the 34 matches of the 2020 edition of the PSL could be staged in the four cities of Lahore, Karachi, Multan and Rawalpindi with UAE remaining as the backup option.

    The six franchise owners have given their nod to the plan proposed by PCB chairman Ehsan Mani in an informal meeting of the PSL Governing Council held in Lahore on Monday.

    Lahore could host as many as 13 matches of PSL 5 including the play-offs and the final while Karachi is set to stage the opening ceremony of the tournament on February 20, 2020. Karachi is likely to stage a total of nine matches while Rawalpindi and Multan are expected to host eight and four games respectively.

    It could be a big boost for the return of international cricket to Pakistan should the proposed plan come to fruition. International cricket has remained at a standstill in the country since the terror attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009.

    However, the tide has been turning of late and the PSL, in particular, has been instrumental in drawing international stars back to Pakistan.

    The inaugural edition of the PSL in 2016 was held entirely in the UAE while the final of the subsequent edition in 2017 was held in Lahore amidst tight security.

    Four matches of PSL 2018 were held on Pakistan soil while as many as eight games of the 2019 edition were staged in Lahore with stars such as Shane Watson, Kieron Pollard and Darren Sammy lending their participation.

    β€œYes, all the franchises have shown their willingness to back the PCB on having the entire PSL in Pakistan because it would also mean franchises being able to earn more and losses being reduced,” Peshawar Zalmi owner Javed Afridi was quoted as saying by GNews.

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