close
Thursday March 28, 2024

PSL VII to begin in Karachi on January 27

By Our Correspondent
December 04, 2021
PSL VII to begin in Karachi on January 27

KARACHI: Defending champions Multan Sultans will take on hosts and 2020 champions Karachi Kings at the National Stadium in the first match of Pakistan Super League’s seventh edition on January 27.

The 2019 champions Quetta Gladiators will go toe to toe with 2017 winners Peshawar Zalmi on the following day on Friday.

After Karachi, which will host 15 matches from January 27 to February 7, action will shift to the Gaddafi Stadium where the remaining 15 league matches and the four play-offs will be played from February 10-27.

The February 27 final will be the first time since 2017 when the headquarters of Pakistan cricket will hold the final. National Stadium had staged the finals from 2018 to 2020, while Abu Dhabi was the venue for the 2021 final where Sultans defeated Zalmi by 47 runs.

The PCB has designed the 2022 tournament in such a way that each side will play equal number of matches in Karachi and Lahore, as well as games under natural and artificial lights.

The HBL PSL Draft 2022 will be held at the High Performance Centre in Lahore December 12.

Each side will come to the draft with a maximum of eight player retentions from the last event. Following the finalisation of player categories, the transfer and retention window is now officially open and will close on December 10.

In the Platinum Category, Lahore Qalandars will have the first pick, followed by Multan Sultans, Karachi Kings, Islamabad United, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators.

Lahore Qalandars will have the first pick in the Diamond Category, followed by Peshawar Zalmi, Islamabad United, Quetta Gladiators, Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans.

Lahore Qalandars will have the first pick in the Gold Category, Peshawar Zalmi will have the first pick in the Silver Category, Lahore Qalandars will have the first pick in Emerging Category and Quetta Gladiators will have the first pick in Supplementary Category.

The PCB, following a review and assessment process, has updated local players’ categories.

In the biggest moves, Pakistan wicketkeeper/batter and Multan Sultan’s captain Mohammad Rizwan (previously Silver), Asif Ali of Islamabad United (previously Gold) and Lahore Qalandars’ Haris Rauf (previously Diamond) have been placed in Platinum Category.

Multan Sultans’ Sohaib Maqsood, who was Player of HBL PSL 6, and Haider Ali of Peshawar Zalmi have moved up from Silver and Gold Categories to Diamond Category, respectively.

“I am delighted that the HBL PSL 7 schedule has been announced,” PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja said. “The HBL PSL 7 will also kick start what will be a bumper year for Pakistan cricket with the Australia men’s cricket team to play a full series in March-April with England men’s cricket side to tour Pakistan twice for white-ball and red ball cricket.”