Quetta not to host PSL matches this year

ISLAMABAD: Quetta has been ruled out as the fifth venue for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) that will begin from February 9 in four different cities of the country.

A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official has told ‘The News’ that all the efforts to organise some of the PSL VIII matches at the Bugti Stadium in Quetta went fruitless due to multiple reasons, the foremost being extreme weather conditions in the city.

“We are thankful to all those who helped the PCB make all-out efforts to organise PSL matches in Quetta. Following the announcement by the PCB Management Committee head Najam Sethi, we sent a special team to Quetta with an aim and that was to make special arrangements to organise some of the PSL matches there.

The team held meetings with all the related stakeholders in Quetta but came to the conclusion that this fall it would not be possible to organize matches in the city. We are thankful to all including Corps Commander, Provincial administration for extending full support, yet we have decided that this time it will not be feasible to hold PSL matches there.

The main reason is extreme weather in Quetta and also the delay in starting the preparations for the extravaganza.” The official, however, was hopeful of organising warm-up or exhibition matches at the venue with the planning that from next year onward Quetta would become a permanent venue for the PSL. “I think from 2024 onward, Quetta can become a permanent venue of the PSL fixtures.”

‘The News’, however, has learnt that one of the issues surfacing was the effective beaming of the PSL matches and technicalities involved in it.

“Sethi and other members of the Board made sincere efforts to take the PSL to Quetta. We strongly believe that PSL nine matches could well be organized in Quetta in an effective and professional way and are planning to kick start the preparations at early stages.”

The official was hopeful about holding some of the matches in Peshawar next year. “Besides Quetta we are also planning to hold some of the PSL 9 matches in Peshawar.”

The PSL 2023 matches starting in February will now be held at four venues -- Lahore, Karachi, Multan and Rawalpindi. “We have finalised four venues for the PSL 2023 and are in the final stages of announcing a complete fixture of the 8th edition.”