KARACHI: Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 8 concluded in Karachi with home side defeating Multan Sultans by 66 runs.
Speculations about PSL 8's Punjab-leg shifting to Karachi have almost faded away as broadcasters at National Bank Cricket Arena (NBCA) got green signal to travel to Rawalpindi.
Soon after the match between Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans ended, broadcasters started packing their equipment. Sources told GeoSuper.tv that broadcasters will leave Karachi tomorrow morning.
Broadcast set-up will start installing at Pindi Stadium tomorrow. Kings will take on Peshawar Zalmi at Pindi Stadium on March 1. Rawalpindi will host most (11) matches in this year's PSL.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister, also the patron of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Shehbaz Sharif assured 'full support' after deadlock between PCB and Punjab government continued.
PCB management committee chairman Najam Sethi approached PM Shehbaz over the matter of hosting PSL matches in Punjab as per schedule.
According to sources, in his conversation with PM Shehbaz, Sethi reiterated that the PCB won’t pay the additional cost for security arrangements. He added that if the demand is not withdrawn by the Punjab government, the PCB will be forced to shift matches to Karachi.
It must be noted that the PCB and the PSL franchises unanimously decided Friday not to pay an additional cost of Rs450m to the Punjab government.
Schedule of matches in Lahore and Rawalpindi
26 Feb - 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
Muzamil Asif