Last Update on: November 9th, 2023 at 04:03 pm
The discussion regarding the relocation of the ninth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season from Pakistan to Dubai has been going on and it has recently escalated, as per Cricket Pakistan. According to reports and details, the general elections in Pakistan have been announced and the date for the same is selected as February 8. This has sparked a debate surrounding the proposed dates of the ninth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), from February 8 to March 24.
Discussions are going on about hosting the opening ceremony and a few matches in Dubai amid concerns regarding security arrangements. According to sources, a high-ranking official, who is associated with the PSL has been actively working in order to secure matches in the UAE since the beginning of the year. This official had also previously suggested the shifting of the league to Dubai during the 2023 season after a minor incident took place in Karachi, but his proposal was rejected.
Prior to this, when a disagreement took place concerning the security funds released by the Punjab government, discussions about relocating the league to Dubai emerged. This particular high-ranking official has close ties with the previous management of PCB, yet Zaka Ashraf who is the current chairman of PCB chose not to remove him from his position, and the official still promotes his desires about shifting the ninth edition of the league to UAE.
PSL 2024 Can Be Rescheduled And Held In Pakistan
The official in question thought that Zaka Ashraf might not get an extension, making his goal easily achievable, but his whole plan fell apart. Franchises have different opinions amongst themselves. Some support the cause while others oppose it.
However, one of the franchise owners expressed his concerns that moving the league out of Pakistan would lead to a decrease in income, as there are additional expenses in UAE such as venue rent, air tickets, expensive hotels, etc. Despite this, the league could still be held in Pakistan by changing the schedule to accommodate the general election period.
It’s also noteworthy that the UAE is going to host its own ILT20 league from January 19 to February 17, so the PSL 2024 could potentially be held there from February 18 onwards. Dubai has been the go-to venue to host franchise league matches. They have also hosted one full season of IPL in 2020 and two half seasons in 2014 and 2021.
