LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that a ‘dazzling opening ceremony’ will kick start the ninth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
The ceremony will take place before the first match, between Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United, at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.
Ali Zafar, Aima Baig, Arif Lohar and Noori will perform at the glittering opening ceremony. Meanwhile, fireworks and a laser show will also be part of the event.
Gates will swing open for spectators at 3:30 pm, with the ceremony kicking off at 6:30 pm.
It must be noted that PSL 9 will be held in four cities — Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi — with the final of the event taking place at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on March 18.
Like the previous edition, the PSL 9 will take place in two legs with Multan Cricket Stadium and Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium hosting 14 matches between them from February 17 to 27. The action then moves to Rawalpindi’s Pindi Cricket Stadium and Karachi’s National Bank Stadium, where 16 matches will be held from February 28 to March 12. The event will then move to Karachi in its entirety for the playoffs.
A highly anticipated clash between Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings is scheduled for 24 February and 9 March. Gaddafi Stadium will host the February 24 encounter, while the National Bank Stadium will be the venue for the Qalandars and Kings match on March 9.
Teams like Kings, Qalandars, Sultans, and United will play five matches at their respective home grounds, while Peshawar Zalmi will play four matches at Pindi Cricket Stadium. Quetta Gladiators, on the other hand, will play three matches each in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, with one match at Multan Cricket Stadium against the home side Sultans on February 25.
The HBL PSL 9 will see four cities, Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi host 34 matches of the marquee event. Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will host nine matches, which includes Lahore Qalandars playing five matches at their home turf. The picturesque Multan Cricket Stadium will host five matches – all Multan Sultans fixtures. Lahore and Multan will host the first leg of the league from 17 to 27 February before action moves to Karachi and Rawalpindi.
Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi will host nine matches from 2 to 10 March with Islamabad United featuring in five matches. Peshawar Zalmi will play four of their 10 matches in Rawalpindi, while Quetta Gladiators will play three matches at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.
Karachi’s National Bank Stadium will host 11 matches including the grand finale on 18 March. The home side Karachi Kings will play a minimum of five matches at the venue, while Quetta Gladiators will get to play at least three matches at the National Bank Stadium.
“I have been captain of Islamabad United for the last four seasons and I want to lift the trophy for my team this season. The additions of Imad Wasim and the Shah brothers are a huge boost for the franchise. Faheem Ashraf and Azam Khan are two vital cogs in our team. I want my team to stand tall in high-pressure games and get over the line. We have evaluated our mistakes from the last season and are looking forward to executing our plans aptly this time around.”
“To represent and lead my hometown team Karachi in the HBL PSL is such a huge honour. It is a rebuilding process for Karachi Kings, where we are looking to build a core group of young players who can serve the franchise for the next five years. We have a great chance to do well given the last part of the tournament is set to take place in Karachi.”
“I am genuinely excited to be leading Lahore Qalandars for the third consecutive season in HBL PSL and the hunt for a hat-trick of titles makes me eager to do well. We are eying a third HBL PSL win this time and I can assure you that my team will show the same intensity as we have done in the past two seasons. Lahore Qalandars are proud of having a strong fan base and our games in Lahore are going to be jam-packed.”
“HBL PSL is a world-class league and we are all proud to be a part of this league. Multan’s pacers and emerging players have dominated the previous two seasons and that is one of the reasons of Sultans doing well consistently. This season we have got a strong squad as well and will look to maintain the standards.
“Multan crowds have given us a lot of love over the last two seasons and hopefully, they will again support us with the same enthusiasm this year.”
“Peshawar Zalmi has been one of the most exciting sides in HBL PSL history and with our current squad we are well poised to emerge as champions in this season. Some of the players are highly talented and gifted in our bowling and batting departments which gives Zalmi an edge over other teams.”
“The opportunity to lead a side in HBL PSL doesn’t come around often and it is such an honour for me. My expectation this season is to obviously win the HBL PSL 9. As a side, we will try to make it a high-performance arena. I think conditions in Karachi and Lahore will suit Quetta Gladiators and that is where we will look to bag the most points.
