LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday announced that the coastal city of Gwadar, located in Balochistan, is the host of the player draft for the 10th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
“The kick-off ceremony for the league celebrations will be held on Saturday, January 11, 2025,” a statement from cricket’s governing body said.
The decision to choose Gwadar was taken with the aim of imparting this popular sport among the people in that part of the province and inspiring future generations to take up cricket as a professional sport.
Meanwhile, People’s Bank of Pakistan Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said: “Gwadar, with its stunning coastline and strategic importance, represents the heart of Pakistan’s economic future.”
“By hosting the HBL PSL Player Draft here, we aim to highlight its cultural and economic importance while celebrating the unity that cricket brings to our nation,” he added.
Moreover, he said he looked forward to welcoming all franchisees and stakeholders involved to the beautiful city of Gwadar on January 11 “as we take an exciting step towards celebrating the start of the 10th edition of Pakistan’s biggest sporting event.”
The initiative reflects the commitment to expand PSL’s reach to every corner of Pakistan and showcase the beauty of Pakistan to the world,” PSL CEO Salman Naseer said in a statement.
“PSL is more than just a cricket league for the ardent cricket fans of Pakistan, it is a celebration of Pakistan’s passion, diversity and talent. The player competition being held in Gwadar is a step towards inspiring young cricketers from Balochistan and other cities of the country to dream big,” he added.
The relegation and player retention process will be announced at the end of December.
Since its inception, Islamabad United has been the most successful team, winning three titles, including the most recent.
They are followed by Lahore Qalandars with two titles, while Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators, Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans have each won the tournament once.
Registration window
It is worth mentioning here that the registration window for foreign players to showcase their availability for PSL 10 has already been opened.
The Cricket Board also announced the renewal of the 87-strong domestic player bracket for the upcoming edition of the prominent league, which saw Hasan Ali of Karachi Kings win, along with Mohammad Amir of Quetta Gladiators, Saim Ayub of Peshawar Zalmi and Osama Mir of Multan Sultans. Upgraded to Platinum status.
The four players join Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan Naseem Shah (Islamabad United), Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi (Lahore Qalandars), Iftikhar Ahmed, Muhammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans) and Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi), who have everything. It has been kept in the premium category.
The Diamond category includes a total of 16 players, including former Gladiators skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, veteran spinner Shoaib Malik and Test captain Shan Masood.