Plan of Pakistan's T10 league faces postponement

Pakistan’s own version of the T10 league faces postponement since a window to hold the event was unavailable in the ongoing year where the national cricket team visits England and Zimbabwe before going to UAE for the 2018 Asia Cup.

After the success of last year’s T10 cricket league in the UAE, where one of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise owners bought a team as well, Pakistan was planning to host an event on the same pattern on their home grounds.

However, Pakistan’s national team has full schedule starting with one-off Test against Ireland and then two-Test series against England in May.

After that, Pakistan will visit Zimbabwe for a tri-series including Australia.

Pakistan will then host England and Australia in the UAE, therefore, a window to organise the first-ever T10 domestic cricket league has taken a back seat in Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) plans.

PCB chairman Najam Sethi, who seemed quite inspired by the idea, will now meet the owners of the PSL franchises on April 30 to discuss the Pakistani variant of the T10 league.

A new title sponsor and the selling of TV rights will also be on the agenda of the aforementioned meeting.

Last year, the PCB faced a lot of criticism for releasing players to represent franchises in the T10 cricket league.

The event was eventually won by Eoin Morgan-led Kerala Kings who beat Shoaib Malik’s Punjabi legends by eight wickets in the final on December 17 in Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

It should also be made clear here that the PSL, after three successful editions, has become a brand name and a new deal in regards to the planned T10 league will benefit both the board and the franchise owners monetarily.