10 things you need to know about the Pakistan Super League (PSL)

PSL logo

The much-awaited Pakistan Super League (PSL) is finally about to take off next February after years of planning and negotiations. At a Lahore ceremony on Sunday, that was graced by several celebrities, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officially launched the tournament and unveiled the logo along with the anthem.

As the ‘premier professional cricket league in Pakistan’, the PSL is expected to fill the coffers of the cash-strapped PCB sumptuously. Here are 10 facts that you need to know about the tournament.

1. The PSL had been originally conceived long before its Indian counterpart, the IPL peaked. As a matter of fact, the PCB had declared its launch in September 2009, but the plans were shelved owing to domestic security concerns.

In November 2012, former ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat had been appointed by the PCB for strategizing the launch. "It's not a long time from now to then but there is still a lot of planning and work has been done and a lot to be done but I can see that there is a lot of energy to get this league off the ground,” he had said while at the PCB headquarters in Lahore.

2. Ever since the terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team bus in 2009, international cricket teams have been particularly apprehensive about travelling to Pakistan. Not surprisingly, reports claim that the venue of the first edition of the PSL has been shifted to the United Arab Emirates owing to security concern although it had initially been scheduled at Doha, Qatar.

3. Unlike the IPL which comprises of eight franchises, only five teams representing five major cities of Pakistan - Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta - will lock horns in the inaugural season of the PSL.

However, there is a plan for an expansion to ten teams for the next 5 seasons. Although the franchise owners have not been fixed yet, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has reportedly expressed his interest in buying one.

Akhtar might buy a PSL team

4. Each of the five teams will have a 16-man squad excluding the coaching personnel. A minimum of 12 local and four foreign players will have to be selected through a ballot. Three venues in the UAE are expected to be finalized - Dubai, Sharjah and Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

5. The inaugural season is scheduled from 4 February 2016 to 24 February 2016 involving a total of 24 matches over a span of 20 days. Therefore, each team will play the other twice before the playoffs - all within a month’s time.

6. The official logo for the PSL and the anthem of the first season were launched at an event in Lahore on Sunday. The latter has been sung by prominent Pakistani music composer and singer-songwriter Ali Zafar. Several present and retired cricketers attended the ceremony as did a number of showbiz icons.

7. A horde of international players like Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Shakib-al-Hasan, Johan Botha, Sunil Narine, Grant Elliot, Brad Hodge, Lasith Malinga and Kevin Pietersen have confirmed their participation in the league. “Absolutely buzzing to be a part of the Pakistani mela coming up in February. I can’t wait to get it started,” Pietersen quipped in a video message during the launch on Sunday.

8. Further, most of the superstars back home are reported to have signed up for the unforeseen Pakistani extravaganza. The likes of Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal, Mohammed Hafeez will be a part of the tournament.

Former cricketers Wasim Akram and Rameez Raja have been chosen as the official ambassadors for the next three years.

9. The striking difference between the IPL and its Pakistani counterpart lies in the method of player recruitment. While the BCCI’s cash-cow depends on holding auctions and boldly bidding for individuals, the PSL is expected to conform to the more subtle example of the National Football League in the United States.

Here, the enrollment of cricketers will be based entirely on a draft system.

10. The PSL does away with the archaic semi-final method and promises to decide the finalists via play-offs. Winners are to be designated prize money of $10 million while each player is supposed to earn at least $50,000 according to former PCB Chairman Najeeb Sethi.