PCB confirms Pakistan Premier League to begin in October

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Zaka Ashraf, has confirmed that the Pakistan Premier League tournament is scheduled to begin in October this year.

In a bid to revive international cricket in the country, the PCB has been involved in a variety of projects, one of which is the launch of a T20 tournament similar to the ones held by neighbours India (who launched the highly successful Indian Premier League in 2008) and Bangladesh (who established the Bangladesh Premier League this year).

Earlier reports regarding the proposed tournament had suggested that the board was looking into the feasibility of the event.

“We are serious about having our own Premier League in Pakistan but first we have to see all feasibility aspects about how we can arrange this event and it’s not possible without consultancy of any experienced group,” a senior PCB board official had confirmed earlier this year.

However, in a press conference on Wednesday, the chairman announced that the tournament would kick off in October, with the International Cricket Council having agreed to send officials and match referees to Pakistan, after a meeting in Dubai.

Forced to host home series in neutral venues such as the UAE following the terrorist attacks on the visiting Sri Lankan team in 2009, which put an end to all kinds of international cricket in the country, the PCB has been working to convince foreign teams to tour the country in a bid to prove that the security situation has improved.

In addition to the proposed tournament, the PCB also succeeded in convincing a British Universities team to visit the country, with the tour having been wrapped up earlier this month.

“Times have changed. Pakistan is a safe place to play cricket in,” Ashraf insisted.

The board had also been in prolonged talks with the Bangladesh Cricket Board for a proposed series. The BCB had initially agreed to tour the troubled country, but backed out after the ICC refused to send match officials to the country. However, the issue appears to have been resolved, with BCB president Mustafa Kamal having recently announced that the Bangladesh team will be touring Pakistan for one ODI and one T20 at the end of April.