Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024: The Thrill of Cricket: All You Need to Know
Introducing the PSL: T20 Cricket at its Best
The Pakistan Super League (PSL), also known as the HBL PSL due to sponsorship reasons, is a men’s Twenty20 cricket league that has taken the nation by storm since its inception in 2015. Featuring six city-based franchise teams, the PSL offers fast-paced, action-packed cricket entertainment that millions of fans worldwide enjoy. Let’s delve into the exciting world of the PSL!
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History of the Pakistan Super League
The origins of the Pakistan Super League can be traced back to the declining state of Pakistani cricket in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Pakistan had been unable to host international cricket matches due to security concerns after the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket team. This resulted in a lack of exposure for Pakistani cricketers who could not participate in high-profile cricket leagues like the Indian Premier League.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced plans for a T20 league in 2012 to revive domestic cricket. After several delays, the league was finally launched in 2015 with five city-based franchises. The inaugural edition of the PSL took place entirely in the UAE. However, it was still met with great enthusiasm by Pakistani cricket fans.
Over the years, the PSL has gone from strength to strength. Improved security allowed PSL matches to be staged in Pakistan starting from 2017. By 2022, the tournament was held in Pakistan across four venues – Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi. The success of the PSL has been instrumental in the revival of international cricket in Pakistan.
The PSL Teams
Let’s meet the six PSL teams:
- Islamabad United
- Karachi Kings
- Lahore Qalandars
- Multan Sultans
- Peshawar Zalmi
- Quetta Gladiators
The Pakistan Super League started with five teams in 2016. Over the years, new teams have been added, while some old teams have been discontinued.
Here is a look at the different teams in the PSL over the years:
- Islamabad United – One of the most successful PSL franchises, winning the tournament in 2016 and 2018. Shadab Khan captains them.
- Karachi Kings – Represent Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi. They are captained by Shan Masood, one of the top batters in the world.
- Lahore Qalandars – Based in Lahore, the Qalandars are led by Shaheen Shah Afridi. They finished as runners-up in 2022.
- Multan Sultans – Joined the league in 2018. Mohammad Rizwan captains the Sultans, who are the defending PSL champions.
- Peshawar Zalmi – Led by Babar Azam, the Zalmi won the PSL in 2017. Their home ground is Peshawar.
- Quetta Gladiators – One of the inaugural PSL teams, the Gladiators are captained by Riley Rossouw. They were champions in 2019.
The Format
The PSL follows a double round-robin structure, where each team faces the others twice during the group stage. The top four teams with the most points advance to the playoffs, leading up to the grand finale.
The 2024 Season
The ninth season of PSL kicked off on February 17, 2024, and promises cricketing fireworks. Matches are spread across four cities in Pakistan: Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, and Karachi. The action-packed season will conclude on March 18, 2024.
Points Table PSL 2024
Here’s a glimpse of the current PSL 2024 points table:
- Islamabad United: 2 points (1 win, 0 loss, NRR +1.159)
- Karachi Kings: 0 points (Yet to play)
- Multan Sultans: 0 points (Yet to play)
- Peshawar Zalmi: 0 points (Yet to play)
- Quetta Gladiators: 0 points (Yet to play)
- Lahore Qalandars: 0 points (1 loss, NRR -1.159)
PSL 2024 Team Squads
Islamabad United Squad 2024
- Batters:
- Azam Khan (Wicketkeeper)
- Jordan Cox
- All-rounders:
- Shadab Khan (Captain)
- Imad Wasim
- Faheem Ashraf
- Alex Hales
- Colin Munro
- Rumman Raees
- Matthew Forde
- Salman Ali Agha
- Qasim Akram
- Shahab Khan
- Hunain Shah
- Ubaid Shah
- Shamyl Hussain
- Tom Curran
- Haider Ali
- Obed McCoy
Peshawar Zalmi Squad 2024
- Batters:
- Asif Ali
- Babar Azam
- Haseebullah Khan (Wicketkeeper)
- Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Wicketkeeper)
- Mohammad Haris
- All-rounders:
- Aamir Jamal
- Khurram Shahzad
- Saim Ayub
- Rovman Powell
- Umair Afridi
- Dan Mousley
- Bowlers:
- Mohammad Zeeshan
- Waqar Salamkheil
- Mehran Mumtaz
- Gus Atkinson
- Salman Irshad
- Arif Yaqoob
- Shamar Joseph (partial replacement for Gus Atkinson)
- Arshad Iqbal (partial replacement for Khurram Shahzad)
- Luke Wood
- Overseas Players:
- Lungi Ngidi
Karachi Kings Squad 2024
- Batters:
- Irfan Khan
- Muhammad Akhlaq (Wicketkeeper)
- Tim Seifert (Wicketkeeper)
- Shan Masood
- James Vince
- All-rounders:
- Imad Wasim (Captain)
- Haider Ali
- Mohammad Amir
- Imran Tahir
- Matthew Wade
- Andrew Tye
- Shoaib Malik
- Aamer Yamin
- Mohammad Umar
- Sharjeel Khan
- James Fuller
- Mir Hamza
- Mohammad Akhlaq
- Irfan Khan Niazi
- Qasim Akram
- Tayyab Tahir
- Tabraiz Shamsi
Lahore Qalanders Squad 2024
- Batters:
- Abdullah Shafique
- Fakhar Zaman
- Shai Hope (Wicketkeeper)
- Dan Lawrence
- Mirza Baig
- All-rounders:
- Shaheen Shah Afridi (Captain)
- Haris Rauf
- Rashid Khan
- Sikandar Raza
- Kamran Ghulam
- Zaman Khan
- Van Der Dussen
- David Wiese
- Jahandad Khan
- Ahsan Bhatti
- Sahibzada Farhan
- Mohammad Imran Jr.
Quetta Galadiators Squad 2024
- Batters:
- Rilee Rossouw (Captain)
- Jason Roy
- Omair Yousuf
- Will Smeed
- Saud Shakeel
- Sajjad Ali
- Sherfane Rutherford
- All-rounders:
- Mohammad Wasim
- Abrar Ahmed
- Akeal Hosein
- Usman Qadir
- Bowlers:
- Mohammad Amir
- Mohammad Hasnain
- Sohail Khan
- Adil Naz
Venues and Attendance
With the return of international cricket to Pakistan, the past few PSL seasons have been held entirely within the country across four international cricket stadiums:
- Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore – Home of the Lahore Qalandars. It also hosts the PSL playoffs and final—a capacity of over 25,000 spectators.
- National Stadium, Karachi – Hosts the matches for 2020 champions, the Karachi Kings. Holds around 35,000 people.
- Multan Cricket Stadium – Inaugurated in 2019, this venue hosts Multan Sultans matches, with a crowd capacity of over 30,000.
- Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is the home base for Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi. Accommodates around 25,000 fans.
The PSL has contributed significantly to bringing international cricket back to Pakistan, and earlier seasons had to be played primarily in the UAE. Still, the last few tournaments have been wholly hosted across these 4 Pakistani venues with high attendance.
The lively crowds, especially Lahore’s vibrant support for their Qalandars, provide outstanding energy and atmosphere at PSL matches that rival other global T20 leagues like the IPL and BBL.
