PSL mulls six-a-side tournament as sidekick
Next year, the PSL would clash with the IPL for the third year running • PCB
The PSL is considering the possibility of adding another tournament within its framework, according to tournament chief executive Salman Naseer. While the nature of the tournament remains highly conceptual, Naseer said it could take the form of a six-a-side tournament, loosely based on the format of the Hong Kong Sixes.
"Nothing is finalised but there are some exciting plans, and one of them is a sixes tournament, called the HBL PSL Sixes, which will be in the off-season," he said in a PSL podcast episode released in the lead-up to the governing council meeting.
Cricinfo had reported after the last PSL governing council meeting in September that the PCB had floated an option of adding a mid-year tournament within the current rights agreement, with the franchises and media rights partner to provide them with another revenue stream.
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The PCB, of late, has been exploring different options to keep the PSL brand active throughout the year, and expects an additional tournament to play a part in it. There is also an expectation that a tournament of such nature, which can be wrapped up in a shorter duration and also requires minimal logistical support with the lesser number of players involved, can prove to be a catalyst to take the league into smaller cities across Pakistan.
The challenge, however, would be to find a suitable window in which foreign players are available to their teams.
"We will look into the prospect of launching this tournament, and it will be very exciting, entertaining and engaging for the fans when it becomes a recurring feature," Naseer, who also serves in the capacity of an advisor to PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, said. "And maybe even going to the smaller stadiums and smaller cities, where we have not been able to take PSL and we know the fans are eager to watch cricket. So a smaller event might be doable, which is what we are exploring."
The PSL has been played at four venues in Pakistan - Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi - since it was brought into the country in its entirety in 2020. The tournament was launched in 2016, when it was played in the UAE, and the PCB gradually moved it into Pakistan by hosting a few matches in the country each year.
The PCB had announced earlier this month that next year's PSL would clash with the IPL for the third year running. The governing council is expected to confirm the schedule, along with dates and venue for the player auction.
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