The wait is almost over as the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is set to return for the eight edition, with Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi sharing between them the 34-match tournament.
The opening ceremony of PSL 8 will be held in Multan on February 13 prior to the tournament opener between 2021 winners Multan Sultans and defending champions Lahore Qalandars; meanwhile the closing ceremony and final will be played on March 19 in Lahore, which will also host play-offs.
The winner will not only lift the Supernova Trophy but will also collect a cheque of Rs120m, while the runners-up will receive a cheque of Rs48m.
Lahore Qalandars will attempt to become the first side to win back-to-back titles; meanwhile Islamabad United will aim to become the most successful side by lifting the trophy thrice.
Rawalpindi will stage 11 fixtures, Karachi and Lahore will host nine matches each, whereas Multan will have five home games.
Afternoon matches will start at 2pm local time, meanwhile evening matches in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi will start at 7pm. Evening matches in Multan will begin at 6pm except for the tournament opener, which will commence at 8pm.
Captains gear up for PSL 8
Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan: “What I am today is solely due to PSL. I entered in this competition as an Emerging Category player, but this tournament gave me the opportunity, belief and confidence to grow and develop as a cricketer and I am pleased that I am now a Platinum Category player.
“The quality and standard of bowling is far superior than any other league. And it is not me who is saying this, but it is shared publically by the top players who have played in PSL. Personally, it gives me a lot of happiness when world’s best cricketers praise our league and its standard.”
Karachi Kings captain Imad Wasim: “PSL is one of the best leagues in the world, which is very close to our hearts. We wait for this league for 10 months during which we prepare, plan and set goals. Then, we enter into this great event to achieve our collective objectives, help our sides win and this cycle continues.
“Last year, Karachi Kings were hampered with injuries, but for 2023, we have all bases covered with high-quality players who all are match-winners. The most important thing for us is to play T20 the way it should be played, which is with a positive attitude and aggressive intent.
Lahore Qalandars captain Shaheen Afridi: “I cannot wait for the PSL to begin. It is a great tournament that throws up some brilliant cricketers each year and we, the international players, get to play some very exciting and competitive cricket.
“We had an incredible run last year and it is our strong bonding as a family that helped us win the PSL. A lot of effort and hard work went behind the scenes that culminated in us lifting the trophy in 2022. We have worked even more hard and we come with much better preparation in this season as retaining the title is a tough job, but with the team that I have got, I am confident that the PSL trophy will stay in Lahore.”
Multan Sultans captain Mohammad Rizwan: “The philosophy of Multan Sultans is simple: play as champions irrespective of the opposition or the outcome. Consequently, we are not afraid of the results.
“We have been able to induce this approach in the side because we are a closely-knit side and the credit for this cohesion must be given to the team management. Also, we have a good mix and combination of coaches, which also helps me to captain the side.”
Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam: “Every PSL edition is super exciting for me because of its competitive nature. There is a different challenge each year as the players with whom you share the Pakistan dressing room all year become your opponents.
“A new franchise, and a new season, this PSL edition holds added significance for me and I am looking forward to making a good start in this journey.”
Quetta Gladiators captain Sarfaraz Ahmed: “The PSL has played a very important role in the development of cricket in Pakistan. It has provided exposure to our players and they have learned how to handle the camera and crowd pressure, which is very important to grow as an international cricketer.
“We have not been able to perform up to our potential in the last two to three editions, but I am sure that 2023 is the year when we will bounce back and make the fans of Quetta Gladiators proud. We have a solid team which has all the ability to win, and I am excited to be back in the purple and gold and lead this great side.”
Squads
Lahore Qalandars: Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Fakhar Zaman, Rashid Khan, David Wiese, Hussain Talat, Haris Rauf, Abdullah Shafique, Liam Dawson, Sikandar Raza, Ahmad Daniyal, Dilbar Hussain, Harry Brook, Kamran Ghulam, Mirza Tahir Baig, Shawaiz Irfan, Zaman Khan, Jalat Khan, Jordan Cox (wk), Ahsan Bhatti, Sam Billings (wk), Shane Dadswell, Shai Hope
Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), David Miller, Josh Little, Shan Masood, Khushdil Shah, Rilee Rossouw, Akeal Hosain, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tim David, Usama Mir, Sameen Gul, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Sarwar, Usman Khan, Arafat Minhas, Ihsanullah, Abbas Afridi, Kieron Pollard, Ammad Butt, Wayne Parnell, IzharulHaq Naveed.
Quetta Gladiators: Sarfaraz Ahmed (c & wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Wanindu Hasaranga, Iftikhar Ahmed, Jason Roy, Odean Smith, Ahsan Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Zahid, Naveen-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Umaid Asif, Will Smeed, Aimal Khan, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Martin Guptill, Omair Bin Yousuf, Nuwan Thushara, Qais Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Dwaine Pretorius, Will Jacks, Nuwan Thushara, Odean Smith, Dwaine Pretorius
Islamabad United: Shadab Khan (c), Paul Stirling, Alex Hales, Sohaib Maqsood, Asif Ali, Rassie van der Dussen, Colin Munro, Hassan Nawaz, Moeen Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Mubasir Khan, Tom Curran, Mohammad Waseem Jr, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Azam Khan (wk), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Zafar Gohar, Rumman Raees, Zeeshan Zameer, Hasan Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Tymal Mills, Gus Atkinson
Karachi Kings: Imad Wasim (c), Haider Ali, Andrew Tye, Mohammad Amir, Imran Tahir, Matthew Wade, Shoaib Malik, Aamer Yamin, James Fuller, James Vince, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Akhlaq (wk), Irfan Khan Niazi, Qasim Akram, Mohammad Umar, Sharjeel Khan, Tayyab Tahir, Tabraiz Shamsi, Ben Cutting, Musa Khan, Faisal Akram
Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (c), Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Wahab Riaz, Arshad Iqbal, Danish Aziz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Aamer Jamal, Saim Ayub, Salman Irshad, Haseebullah Khan, Khurram Shahzad, Richard Gleeson, Peter Hatzoglou Sufyan Muqeem, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Usman Qadir, Jimmy Neesham, Haris Sohail
Complete schedule
13 Feb - Multan Sultans v Lahore Qalandars, Multan Cricket Stadium
14 Feb - Karachi Kings v Peshawar Zalmi, National Bank Cricket Arena
15 Feb - Multan Sultans v Quetta Gladiators, Multan Cricket Stadium
16 Feb - Karachi Kings v Islamabad United, National Bank Cricket Arena
17 Feb - Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi, Multan Cricket Stadium
18 Feb - Karachi Kings v Quetta Gladiators, National Bank Cricket Arena
19 Feb - Multan Sultans v Islamabad United, Multan Cricket Stadium; Karachi Kings v Lahore Qalandars, National Bank Cricket Arena
20 Feb - Quetta Gladiators v Peshawar Zalmi, National Bank Cricket Arena
21 Feb - Quetta Gladiators v Lahore Qalandars, National Bank Cricket Arena
22 Feb - Multan Sultans v Karachi Kings, Multan Cricket Stadium
23 Feb - Peshawar Zalmi v Islamabad United, National Bank Cricket Arena
24 Feb - Quetta Gladiators v Islamabad United, National Bank Cricket Arena
26 Feb - Karachi Kings v Multan Sultans, National Bank Cricket Arena; Lahore Qalandars v Peshawar Zalmi, Gaddafi Stadium
27 Feb - Lahore Qalandars v Islamabad United, Gaddafi Stadium
1 Mar - Peshawar Zalmi v Karachi Kings, Pindi Cricket Stadium
2 Mar - Lahore Qalandars v Quetta Gladiators, Gaddafi Stadium
3 Mar - Islamabad United v Karachi Kings, Pindi Cricket Stadium
4 Mar - Lahore Qalandars v Multan Sultans, Gaddafi Stadium
5 Mar - Islamabad United v Quetta Gladiators, Pindi Cricket Stadium
6 Mar - Quetta Gladiators v Karachi Kings, Pindi Cricket Stadium
7 Mar - Peshawar Zalmi v Lahore Qalandars, Pindi Cricket Stadium; Islamabad United v Multan Sultans, Pindi Cricket Stadium
8 Mar – Pakistan Women’s League Exhibition Match 1, Pindi Cricket Stadium; Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators, Pindi Cricket Stadium
9 Mar - Islamabad United v Lahore Qalandars, Pindi Cricket Stadium
10 Mar - Pakistan Women’s League Exhibition Match 2, Pindi Cricket Stadium; Peshawar Zalmi v Multan Sultans, Pindi Cricket Stadium
11 Mar - Pakistan Women’s League Exhibition Match 3, Pindi Cricket Stadium; Quetta Gladiators v Multan Sultans, Pindi Cricket Stadium
12 Mar - Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi, Pindi Cricket Stadium; Lahore Qalandars v Karachi Kings, Gaddafi Stadium
15 Mar - Qualifier (1 v 2), Gaddafi Stadium
16 Mar - Eliminator 1 (3 v 4), Gaddafi Stadium
17 Mar - Eliminator 2 (loser Qualifier v winner Eliminator 1), Gaddafi Stadium
19 Mar – Final, Gaddafi Stadium