Pakistan Super League T20 is finally on. The PSL is widely considered to be the premier professional T20 cricket league in Pakistan. The cup will be awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season.
After years of battling security concerns and inner hassles, the authorities have lined up a spectacular contest. The matches will be held, 24 in all, from 4th to 24th February 2016 just before the World T20. The authorities have intelligently chosen February as it doesn’t hold any other T20 event in the main. Every step is being taken to ensure smooth transactions of tickets; sale of merchandise, building up of brand equity and smoothing the broadcasting rights.
Pakistan Super League teams: The inaugural edition of the PSL Pakistan Super League 2016 will see five teams participating in it with each team representing a city. However, plans are in place for an expansion of the PSL to be a 10 team league within the next five years. The league will replace the existing Haier T20 Cup. The league is expected to draw highly skilled players from all over the world, and currently has players signed from approximately 10 different countries. Pakistani players will constitute the majority of the players in the league.
80 players including 25 graded international players will make their presence felt in the tournament that promises $1, 00, 000 to the winning team. It also promises plenty of excitement as teams from Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Lahore bombard the cricketing arena.
Of course, what takes priority is the level of cricket played. There will be 55 local players locking shoulders with 25 international tough nuts. Quality international coaches have been roped to manage the 5 teams with precision and bite.
Former Pakistan captains Wasim Akram and Ramiz Raja have been roped in as brand ambassadors of the tournament for the next three years.
The league will use a draft system – similar to the National Football League in the United States for player recruitment as opposed to the auction system which is used in other popular T20 leagues across the world.
The Pakistan t20 league will not be played in Pakistan but instead will be based out of UAE. All matches would be played at two grounds – Dubai and Sharjah cricket stadiums which was confirmed by the PCB in September 2015. Earlier there were plans for the tournament to be played in Doha but that was changed back to UAE where the tournament will be played now.
The cricketing fans are all eagerly awaiting the kick-off and planning their sojourns in advance. This should be a cracker of a tournament to behold.
A comprehensive list of all Pakistani and foreign (International) T20 players taking part in Pakistan Super League PSL T20 2016 in the first season in UAE. The list has been compiled based on confirmation by PCB and official sources.
PAKISTAN SUPER LEAGUE LIVE
List of Top Players from International Cricket that have agreed to participate in the Super League:
Australia: Brad Hodge, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steven Smith, Joe Burns, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson, Shane Watson, Michael Hussey, James Faulkner, Brad Haddin
Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal
England: Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara, Chris Jordan, Steven Finn, Jade Dernbach, Tim Bresnan, Luke Wright, Michael Carberry, Chris Woakes, Alex Hales, Kevin Pietersen, Andy Moles, Chris Adams, Ian Bell
India: Robin Singh
Ireland: Kevin O’Brien, Paul Stirling
Nethelands: Ryan ten Doeschate
New Zealand: Grant Elliott, Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Jesse Ryder, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, James Franklin, Adam Milne, Mitchell McClenaghan,
South African: Richard Levi, Robin Peterson, AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, Faf du Plessis, Rilee Rossouw, David Miller, Johan Botha, Hashim Amla, Imran Tahir, Dale Steyn
Sri Lanka: Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Thisara Perera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis, Chaminda Vaas
West Indies: Chris Gayle, Kerion Pollard, Darren Sammy, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Dwayane Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Samuel Badree, Gordon Greenidge
Zimbabwe: Hamilton Masakadza, Brendan Taylor, Elton Chigumbura, Chamunorwa Chibhabha
List of National & Foreign Coaches
Mickey Arthur, Abdul Rehman, Graham Ford, Eric Simons, Stuart Law, Robin Singh, Otis Gibson, Ray Jennings, Chaminda Vaas, Gordon Greenidge, Darren Berry, Shane Jurgensen, Andy Moles, Chris Adams, Mohammad Akram
At least sixteen Pakistani players will be in action for six different teams during the third edition of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 championship next month.
The third edition of the BPL will commence on November 22 this year.
Six teams, Dhaka Dynamites, Chittagong Vikings, Rangpur Riders, Comilla Victorians, Barisal Bulls and Sylhet Superstars will be competing for the title.
Out of the total 16 Pakistani players, who are named by different teams in their squads for the BPL 2015, seven were picked from a draft-pool auction on Thursday while nine others signed direct contracts with different franchises.
Dhaka Dynamites picked five Pakistani players in their squad of 18. Spin wizard Yasir Shah, fast bowler Mohammad Irfan, opening batsman Nasir Jamshed, pacer Sohail Khan and batsman Shahzeb Hassan will be representing Dhaka’s team.
They’ll also share the dressing room with Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara.
Fast bowler Mohammad Amir will also be in action during the BPL, he is making a comeback to the game after completing his five-year ban from all types of cricket following his confession of being involved in the spot-fixing scandal.
He, along with spin maestro Saeed Akmal and two Akmals – Kamran and Umar – will be playing for Chittagong Vikings.
Sylhet Superstars will have services of T20 specialist and Pakistan’s captain in the shortest format Shahid Afridi, who signed a pre-draft contract with the franchise.
On Thursday, Sylhet’s franchise picked another Pakistani all-rounder Sohail Tanvir from the draft.
Mohammad Sami and Imad Waseem are picked by Barisal Bulls while Wahab Riaz will be in action for Rangpur Riders.
Shoaib Malik and Ahmed Shahzad will be seen in action for Comilla Victorians.