PCB chairman Ehsan Mani speaks at the PSL 2019 draft © Getty Images/AFP
In arguably the most significant move to ensuring the PSL takes place in Pakistan in its entirety, all PSL franchises met with the PCB and affirmed their commitment to work towards that goal. Four venues – Lahore, Karachi, Multan and Rawalpindi – have been nominated to cover the entire tournament spanning 34 games, though the UAE does remain on the table as a back-up venue.
The PCB chairman met all franchise owners in a hotel for lunch today to discuss the plan for the tournament officially with the franchises taken into confidence. ESPNcricinfo understands as many as 13 games will be played in Lahore with the tournament kicking off on February 20 in Karachi. Multan last hosted international cricket in 2008, but is believed to be ready to host the PSL. Rawalpindi, meanwhile, has suffered from persistent dereliction over the past decade and a half or so, and last hosted an international match in 2006; it is currently undergoing renovation and repair to ensure it is in a fit state to host the PSL matches it is assigned.
Over the years, the PCB has viewed the PSL as instrumental in the trickling return of international cricket to Pakistan. The ball only really got rolling when the 2017 PSL final was held at the Gaddafi Stadium, followed by four games in the 2018 edition across Karachi and Lahore. Earlier this year, the final eight games were scheduled to be played in Lahore and Karachi, but were all moved to the port city due to rising political tensions with India, which shares a border with Lahore.
The final in 2017 paved the way for an ICC-approved World XI to tour Pakistan for three T20Is, while West Indies and Sri Lanka have also toured the country to play T20I cricket, albeit with both sending at least slightly weakened sides. Before that, only Zimbabwe visted Pakistan in 2015 for three ODIs and two T20Is since the 2009 terror attack, and while the games themselves went off without a hitch, a bomb exploded two kilometres from the stadium killing one policeman.
While the World XI series did see an influx of high-profile players, including a five-strong South African contingent led by Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla, as well as Tamim Iqbal, Thisara Perera and current Australian Test captain Tim Paine, notable players have been reluctant to tour Pakistan in the past. That is rapidly changing, however, with the 2018 PSL marking the first time no overseas player pulled out of touring Pakistan, including Shane Watson, who had in previous years been famously reluctant to play in the country.
During the meeting, franchises touched upon various other issues, including reworking their 10-year contracts with the PCB, seeking perpetuity rights, abolishing bank guarantees, and pegging dollar rate on payments and taxation. Since it was an informal meeting, all these matters were pushed back for the PSL’s general council meeting later this month, though a working group was constituted to deliberate about all the terms.
Umar Farooq is ESPNcricinfo’s Pakistan correspondent
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo