Karachi to host 11 PSL games, including final

LAHORE: With the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) yet to officially announce the PSL 9 schedule a leaked provisional schedule says that Karachi will have a lion’s share as the port city will host 11 matches, including the final, during the marquee event which is expected to be held from February 17 to March 17.

Besides Karachi Lahore and Rawalpindi will have to host nine matches each while Multan will act as host to five matches of the event .

However a PCB source told The News that the schedule may be revised. “It’s not final schedule and that is why we are taking time to make the things final,” the source said.

“You know it’s a narrow window because of Pakistan’s international commitments and we will have to dispose of the event within the available time,” the source said. “Once the things are final we will release the official schedule,” the source said.

A franchise source told The News that they agree with the proposed schedule of February 17 to March 17 but things are yet to be finalised. This correspondent understands that the PCB was forced to delay the event a bit due to expected general elections on February 8. But Senate resolution regarding the postponement of the elections on Friday has created uncertainty about the elections.

And according to sources if general elections are postponed then slight changes may be made in the schedule of the country’s T20 league.

Provisional schedule:

Feb 17: Qalandars vs United in Lahore

Feb 18: Gladiators vs Zalmi in Lahore and Sultans vs Kings in Multan

Feb 19: Qalandars vs Gladiators in Lahore

Feb 20: Sultans vs United in Multan

Feb 21: Zalmi vs Kings in Lahore and Sultans vs Qalandars in Multan

Feb 22: Gladiators vs United in Lahore

Feb 23: Sultans vs Zalmi in Multan

Feb 24: Qalandars vs Kings in Lahore

Feb 25: Sultans vs Gladiators in Multan and Qalandars vs Zalmi in Lahore

Feb 26: Zalmi vs United in Lahore

Feb 27: Qalandars vs Sultans in Lahore

Feb 28: Kings vs United in Karachi

Feb 29: Rest day

Mar 1: Zalmi vs Qalandars and United vs Gladiators in Pindi

Mar 2: Kings vs Sultans in Karachi

Mar 3: United vs Zalmi in Pindi

Mar 4: Kings vs Gladiators in Karachi

Mar 5: Zalmi vs Sultans in Pindi

Mar 6: United vs Qalandars and Gladiators vs Kings in Pindi

Mar 7: United vs Kings in Pindi

Mar 8: Zalmi vs Gladiators in Pindi

Mar 9: Kings vs Qalandars in Karachi

Mar 10: United vs Sultans and Gladiators vs Qalandars in Pindi

Mar 11: Kings vs Zalmi in Karachi

Mar 12: Gladiators vs Sultans in Karachi

Mar 13: Rest day

Mar 14: Qualifier (Team 1 vs Team 2) and Eliminator 1 (Team 3 vs Team 4) in Karachi

Mar 15: Eliminator 2 (Eliminator winner vs Qualifer runner-up) in Karachi

Mar 16: Rest day

Mar 17: Final in Karachi.