DUBAI: The ten-over version of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is likely to be launched on home soil later this year after all stakeholders threw their weight behind the idea.
Well-informed sources told ‘The News’ here on Sunday that all six franchise owners agreed to back a T10 league in Pakistan under the aegis of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
“It’s a great idea and all of us are backing it because a full edition of a T-10 league in Pakistan will be a big leap forward towards the return of international cricket to our country,” one of the PSL franchise owners told ‘The News’ after a marathon meeting here at the Inter Continental in Dubai Festival City.
The owners of all six franchises – Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators, Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans – met with Najam Sethi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).One of the items on the extensive agenda of the meeting was launching a T-10 league in Pakistan.
The PCB came under intense criticism over its decision to allow leading national cricketers to feature in the inaugural edition of a T-10 league in the United Arab Emirates last year. The Board issued NOCs to several key national players including Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed to take part in the T-10 league in Sharjah.
The event was a private enterprise and the Board was duly criticised over its decision to allow top players to take part in it.“The thing is that there is a need to have a T-10 league and it will be better for our cricket if such a league is held in Pakistan,” said another franchise owner.
According to details, there will be six teams in the T-10 league and all the franchises will be owned by the people at the helm of the PSL teams.The idea has received an overwhelming support from all the franchises including Karachi Kings, who are said to have a stake in the Sharjah T-10 league.“Even the Karachi Kings were on board. They said that they will fully support the project,” a source privy of the issues discussed in Sunday’s meeting said.
