“PSL 9 to feature six teams,” confirms PCB

F.P. Report

LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9, scheduled next year, will feature six teams, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed Monday.

The chairman of the PCB Management Committee Zaka Ashraf presided over the meeting of the PSL Governing Council at the National Cricket Academy here. The high-profile meeting saw a wide range of issues being discussed, including the number of teams for the upcoming PSL 9. “The upcoming ninth season will be played with six teams. No additional team will be added in the upcoming season,” stated PCB.

For the unversed, former chairman of the PCB Management Committee Najam Sethi, in March this year, expressed his strive to expand the PSL by adding two more teams in the next edition. “If you ask me what are our plans for the next PSL, keeping it brief my strive is to add two more teams. But obviously, this decision is subject to the approval of the franchises and is impossible without doing the homework,” said Sethi.

“That is because if any franchise suffers a loss by the addition of two more franchises then it is not a good thing to do. It must be a win-win situation for everyone. So I’m doing homework on this. “We had a brief discussion with the franchises and after the conclusion of this PSL, we will formally start consulting them the next month about the addition of teams and the model after the completion of 10 years.”

After successfully hosting three women’s exhibition matches on the sidelines of the PSL 8, the PCB decided that it would continue to explore similar opportunities during PSL 9.

“For the promotion and support of women’s cricket, the PCB will continue to explore opportunities for women’s league or exhibition matches during HBL PSL,” said PCB. Furthermore, the window for the upcoming PSL 9 was also decided in the PSL Governing Council meeting while the final schedule of the extravaganza will be confirmed in the next meeting.

“The window for the upcoming season is decided between 8 February to 24 March 2024. A final schedule will be confirmed in the next meeting,” PCB shared.