LAHORE: The UAE’s ILT20 final and the Pakistan Super League’s 2024 season beginning are scheduled to conflict, which will cause issues for the teams in both competitions.
The PSL’s ninth season will get underway on February 17 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium with a match between the two most successful clubs in the league—the reigning champion Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United. At the same time, Dubai is scheduled to host the ILT20 final.
The availability of five Pakistani players with ILT20 contracts for the tournament’s final stages is probably going to be affected as a result. Desert Vipers are scheduled to play with Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan, and Mohammad Amir. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders recently introduced Imad Wasim as a new signing.Many foreign players are also expected to play in both competitions; but, contingent on the conditions of their contracts and the success of their respective teams, they might not be able to play in the PSL opener or the ILT20 championship round.
The PSL schedule was released by the PCB on Friday, with March 18 marking the tournament’s conclusion. For the first time, the knockout stages will take place in Karachi.
“The decision to host the marquee event across these cities is a testament to our commitment to bring top-notch cricket to fans across the country,” stated Zaka Ashraf, the chair of the PCB’s management committee. We believe that hosting matches in these settings not only adds to the excitement for viewers but also promotes cricket at the grassroots level.”
The PCB announced a 113% rise in the value of live-streaming rights and a 45% increase in the value of broadcast rights when they recently reached a new broadcast agreement for the PSL 2024 and 2025 seasons. “It is an unprecedented moment as the prices for both of these rights are unmatched,” Ashraf stated. “This demonstrates the HBL PSL’s expansion.”
The board also declared that six regional teams—Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, Quetta, and Rawalpindi—will compete in the National Women’s T20 Tournament, which is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 15. The location of the final, which is scheduled for January 31, has not yet been revealed.
The national women’s selection committee chose the 16-player teams. With the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup scheduled for September–October, the PCB stated in a news release that “the National Women’s T20 Tournament 2024 serves [as] a great opportunity for the players to stake a claim in the national team ahead of the busy international year.”
