Pakistan Super League – HBL PSL 9 2024

Men’s T-20 format—The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) started the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2016. The general time of the annual league is from February to March, and it gets quite popular among people.

From its birth, HBL PSL, also linked with its title sponsorship by Habib Bank Limited (HBL), became one of the highlights in the world cricketing calendar. Home to some of the best cricketing talent from Pakistan and worldwide, it is known to bring cricketing talent from the Pakistan coast and international arenas onto the same platform.

Initially, the league featured five city-based franchise teams competing against each other. However, a sixth team was added to expand further and enrich the competition starting the third edition of the league in 2018, a format maintained to date. Each team in the HBL PSL is separately owned and managed by investors; this is one of the key factors making it a very competitive competition and adding much to the league’s success, calling it one of the best cricket leagues globally.

The HBL PSL is a double round-robin, where each team plays with another twice in the group phase. From these four teams, the best four teams qualify and move to the playoffs to decide the teams featured in the grand finale.

Eight successful seasons have been completed, and HBL PSL 5 preparations have already begun, so another thrilling edition will be on the way. From the lot of six, two – Islamabad United (IU) and Lahore Qalandars (LQ) – have become the most consistent and successful franchises, having pocketed the coveted HBL PSL title twice each. Reigning Champions, Lahore Qalandars have successfully defended their crown in HBL PSL 8, 2023—the only team to have done so.

A Short History of the Pakistan Super League (PSL)

The roar of the crowd, electrifying atmosphere, and action galore have added to the splendor of T20 cricket. Since being introduced at the international level in 2005, T20 cricket has been an overwhelming and absorbing format that gets intense love and attention. Its success fueled the desire for a vibrant T20 league similar to those seen in other sports like football.

The T20 League Boom and the Birth of PSL

 The first professional T20 league emerged in England in 2003 but wasn’t based on franchises. However, the concept took off in 2008 when the ICC (International Cricket Council) gave its approval to the IPL (Indian Premier League) proposed by BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India). The breathtaking success of the IPL set off a worldwide phenomenon of global T20 leagues. This phenomenon inspired their franchise-based leagues—Australia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and others.

Pakistan Enters the Arena: The Long-Awaited PSL

After a year-long planning and deliberation, the much-awaited Pakistan Super League (PSL) was formally announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in 2015. The league was set up as an impetus to Pakistani cricket and to crack open ways to revive international cricket within the country.

Launching the League: Challenges and Initial Steps

Security concerns in Pakistan meant the entire inaugural edition of the Pakistan Super League, held in February 2016, was played in the United Arab Emirates. However, with over 40 foreign players involved, the league was a key step for the PCB in its attempt to bring international cricket back to Pakistan. A huge international pool took part, indicating the stature of the league. This represented another key move underlining the commitment to build the PSL, as two legendary Pakistan captains were roped in as brand ambassadors for the next three years.

Initial Structure and Growth

The first two seasons of the PSL carried five teams, named after the Federal Capital and all the Provincial Capitals.

The opportunity for expansion was seen by the management of Pjson, and a sixth team was consequently added to the competition for the third season played in 2018. In their recruitment of players, they use a drafting system, as opposed to the auction system used in other leagues but which is common with American professional sports.

Unveiling the Brand and Securing the Future

On September 20, 2015, a ceremony, organized at Lahore, formally launched the PSL logo by 3Di. It was a very well-attended event by nearly the entire present and former Pakistani cricketers’ fraternity along with showbiz celebrities. Cementing the future of the league further, the commercial rights of PSL were sold to the franchises at that time, up to a ten-year period, in December 2015, as it raised a mammoth sum of 93 million US dollars. The market value of PSL was estimated in the early years to be a whopping 300 million US dollars, just to put on record how rapidly it was growing in esteem and economic sway.

 Following its launch, PSL has continued to be the standard top delivery in cricket entertainment and afforded emerging Pakistani talent the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the best international stars in the game. The story of success of the league is a testimony to the passion of Pakistanis for the game of cricket and its incredible potential as a power to take development and entertainment home.

HBL PSL 9 Sticks with Six Teams

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) management, which had earlier mulled the plan to increase the number of its franchises to seven or eight for the upcoming HBL PSL 9, 2024, now has established the present setup of six teams. This decision follows the structure of the previous PSL season. HBL PSL 9, the following 6 teams are going to be part of this exhilarating season of cricket glory in 2024:

• Lahore Qalandars:
• Multan Sultans: 
• Islamabad United:
• Peshawar Zalmi:
• Quetta Gladiators:
• Karachi Kings:

To stay updated with the latest standings in the PSL 9 2024 Points Table, click here.

Pakistan Super League – HBL PSL 9 2024 Venues

HBL P’ton Ltd has just launched its new digital wallet brand, titled ‘pai Time Account,’ which is part of the institution’s strategy to drive financial inclusion in the country. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has ensured that the hype is experienced live by fans from different parts of the country, having finalized the venues that will host the event. The chosen venues for the PSL 9 2024 season include some of the nation’s most iconic cricket stadiums:

• National Stadium in Karachi
• Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore
• Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
• Multan Cricket Stadium

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the venue for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024 edition on Wednesday. There have been reports in circulation for some time that the PSL 9 matches could be taken to the UAE with general elections set to take place in Pakistan. However, the PSL teams have rejected the idea of shifting the PSL 9 2024 season to the UAE. Therefore, season PSL 9 is final now, as it will be taking place in Pakistan, including the venues for the 2024 season.

Meanwhile, the final venue of PSL 2024’s opening game is the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. However, the teams were concerned, considering the cold and foggy weather conditions. If weather concerns like this persist, there might be a change of the match venue to some other location.

The Peshawar Zalmi has asked to host matches at their home ground, with an understanding that the Peshawar Stadium could be made available for this purpose within the next two months. However, the PCB has not announced the ground as a playing venue in the current season. However, the PCB has planned an exhibition match to be held at the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar.

HBL PSL 9 2024 Officials/Umpires

 The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially announced the list of match referees, officials, and umpires for the Pakistan Super League’s ninth season (HBL PSL 9 2024).

Here are the details:

Umpires for PSL 2024 include:

• Richard Illingworth from England, a member of the ICC’s elite panel of umpires
• Chris Gaffaney from New Zealand, also a member of the ICC’s elite panel of umpires
• Ahsan Raza from Pakistan, part of the ICC’s elite panel of umpires
• Michael Gough from England, another member of the ICC’s elite panel of umpires
• Aleem Dar from Pakistan
• Tariq Rasheed from Pakistan
• Shozab Raza from Pakistan
• Rashid Riaz from Pakistan
• Asif Yaqoob from Pakistan
• Faisal Afridi from Pakistan
• Abdul Moqeed from Pakistan
• Nasir Hussain from Pakistan (listed twice, assuming to be a single entry)
• Imran Javed from Pakistan
• Alex Wharf from England
• Ruchira Palliyaguruge from Sri Lanka

Match Referees of PSL 2024

The Match Referees for the Pakistan Super League 2024 have been officially announced and include the following individuals:

• Roshan Mahanama from Sri Lanka
•  Ali Naqvi from Pakistan
•  Muhammad Javed from Pakistan
•  For full details, click here.

Commentators for the Pakistan Super League 2024 (HBL PSL 9)

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled the list of commentators and presenters for HBL PSL 9. Detailed information is provided below:

Commentators for PSL Season 9

• Ramiz Raja (Pakistan, commentary in English/Urdu)
• Waqar Younis (Pakistan, commentary in English/Urdu)
• Amir Sohail (Pakistan, commentary in English/Urdu)
• Bazid Khan (Pakistan, commentary in English/Urdu)
• Sikandar Bakht (Pakistan, commentary in English/Urdu)
• Sana Mir (Pakistan, commentary in English/Urdu)
• Urooj Mumtaz (Pakistan, commentary in English/Urdu)
• Marina Iqbal (Pakistan, commentary in English/Urdu)
• Tariq Saeed (Pakistan, commentary in Urdu)
• Ali Younis (Pakistan, commentary in Urdu)
• Ian Bishop (West Indies, commentary in English)
• Michael Clark (Australia, commentary in English)
• Danny Morrison (New Zealand, commentary in English)
• Simon Doull (New Zealand, commentary in English)
• Pommie Mbangwa (Zimbabwe, commentary in English)
• Mark Butcher (England, commentary in English)
• Dominic Cork (England, commentary in English)
• Mike Haysman (South Africa, commentary in English)

Presenters for PSL Season 9

• Erin Holland
• Zainab Abbas

The Player Draft of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024, also known as HBL PSL 9, is one of the key features on the league’s annual calendar.

Over a hundred players have joined every year since its inception into the HBL PSL through a carefully laid out process, which includes on-boarding players from across the world, including national and international players, through a carefully laid drafting process. This also reflects the burgeoning number of applications from international players who want to participate in the draft, which aligns with the growing global appeal and demand of HBL PSL.

Inside the HBL Pjson, the formation of the teams takes place strategically. Players will be allocated in different categories based on their skills and abilities, so that balanced and competitive setups are made across all the teams. Categories are:

• Platinum
• Diamond
• Gold
• Silver
• Emerging
• Supplementary

This will give teams in the HBL PSL an opportunity to enhance their squads from 16 to 18, picking more talent from the following categories each time:

Pakistan Super League – HBL PSL 9 2024

The draft of the Pakistan Super League 2024 (HBL PSL 9) will ensure the order defined for picking players category-wise. They are allocated the selection time of 2 minutes per pick in the first three rounds, which comes under the platinum category, and 90 seconds for each pick in the subsequent rounds as per the categories mentioned earlier. Teams are required to form their squads in compliance with these rules while making their selections.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has scheduled the draft for HBL PSL 2024 on December 13, 2023, starting at 3:00 pm. The proceedings of the event of drafting for the ninth season are going to be live on the television channel Geo Super. The PCB had also announced a date before but withdrew its notification to schedule a new date and time for the drafting session of new players. Comprehensive details from all these categories about the players drafted into each team will be shared once the draft gets over.

Prize Money for Pakistan Super League 2024 (HBL PSL 9)

The prize money for HBL PSL 9 will be revealed shortly.

Winner and Runner-Up of PSL

Winners and Runner-Up’s details of the previous seasons of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) are below here.

Opening Ceremony of PSL 9 2024

The HBL PSL 9 2024 Opening Ceremony is scheduled for 6:30 PM on February 17, 2024, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

The event will be celebrated with stage stars such as Ali Zafar, Aima Baig, Arif Lohar, Leo Twins, Natasha Baig, and Noori, followed by grand fireworks and an eye-catching laser show. Gates will be open at 3:30 pm for the audience. Buy your tickets now at pcb.tcs.com.pk.

Pakistan Super League – HBL PSL 9 2024 Theme Song

The anthem of the Pakistan Super League is always awaited by fans. Over its years of existence, the greatest and most famous voices from Pakistan—Ali Zafar, Fawad Khan, Ali Azmat, Naseebo Lal, Aaima Baig, Atif Aslam, Asim Azhar—have been part of the anthems. After a long wait, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) finally released the official anthem for HBL PSL 9 2024 on Thursday. The anthem, named “Khul ke khel,” is rendered by two most sought-after vocalists from Pakistan, Ali Zafar, and Aima Baig.

Fans of this gentleman’s game can also tune in on the social media platforms of the Pakistan Super League to the anthem of PSL 2024. The PCB recently announced that Ali Zafar would collaborate on the anthem of the PSL 2024 with Aaima Baig. Very high critique that the last year’s anthem faced forced them into the comfort of Ali Zafar with strong willingness from the fans. Meaning, the anthem for the inaugural edition of PSL, “Sitti Bajay gi Saij Sajay ga,” was made behind the voice of Ali Zafar and had become a sensation among PSL followers.

conclusion

the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is a T20 cricket competition orchestrated by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). With eight editions, the league is all set to have the ninth edition in February 2024. Six teams of the following major Pakistan cities will be featuring their star-studded outfits in the upcoming edition: Pakistan Super League – HBL PSL 9 2024.

Among all other cricket leagues across the world like IPL, LPL, BPL, CPL, etc., PSL 9 is keeping a very important place in the various cricket leagues and receiving huge ratings. Fans are very anticipative and excited to watch the live matches of PSL 9 2024.