Dubai: A surprise announcement that T-20 Pakistan Super League (PSL) may be held in UAE next year is likely to be made on Sunday. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials, according to informed sources, had visited UAE two days ago and held discussions with UAE cricket officials to host the event here in a U-turn from their earlier decision of staging this league in Qatar.
UAE cricket officials could not offer their grounds for this league as the dates of the PSL were clashing with Masters Champions League (MCL), a tournament for retired cricketers, who had signed up all the three international grounds here. However, it is understood that through a few change of dates in the schedule both MCL and PSL will be held here during the month.
The MCL is to be held between February 4 to 20 and PSL dates will be known during the official launch of the event tomorrow in Lahore. Five teams will participate in PSL and a total of 24 will be held here.
Players such as West Indies’ Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith and Samuel Badree along with Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Ajantha Mendis have been signed up to play for PSL. New Zealand’s Grant Elliott, James Franklin, Australia’s Brad Hodge, South Africa’s Richard Levi and Roben Peterson, England’s Tim Bresnan and Michael Carberryare are the other cricketers who have consented to play in the league. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) who are the owners of the PSL are hoping atleast 25 top overseas players will play in their league.
According to a source the reason behind Pakistan Super League officials returning to request UAE is mainly due to fear that the response for the event could be lukewarm in Qatar. The Qatar ground which was approached to host the league had a capacity of just 13,000 and also the ground was not even owned by Qatar Cricket Association. The PSL organisers also realized that to host 24 matches in one venue would have been very difficult. It is also understood that some of the sponsors for the PSL expressed their keenness to see the league held in UAE which will have larger turn out and bigger exposure.
Pakistan has been hosting their international matches in UAE since 2009 and hence has a close relationship with UAE cricket officials. In fact, the Pakistan-England series is scheduled to be held from next month in UAE three grounds.
Meanwhile, close to 300 former cricketers have signed up to play for MCL to be held in UAE’s three venues during February. The UAE cricket officials are now relieved that the issue has been sorted out with both MCL and PCB sportingly sorting out the issue by agreeing to a few changes in schedule.
