Category: Cricket

LAHORE: Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha on Wednesday came out strongly in defence of star batter Babar Azam ahead of the national team’s three-match series against Australia, set to begin on Thursday at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Salman addressed the media in Lahore a day before the opening match of the three-game series, which will be played from January 29 to February 1 at the same venue.

During the press conference, Salman was asked whether Babar could regain form after a below-par Big Bash League (BBL) 15 campaign for Sydney Sixers, where he scored 202 runs in 11 matches, averaging 22.44 with a strike rate of 103.06.

However, the Pakistan captain dismissed the concern, stating that Babar’s performances for Pakistan matter more than what he does in the BBL, insisting the franchise cricket form should not be used to judge his value.

“I wish someday I attend a press conference and not get asked about Babar Azam,” Salman said. “You [media] need to leave him and let him play his game, and also focus on other players.”

“Look, I agree Babar did not play as per expectations in the BBL, but for us, he has been a proven performer always, so I have no issues. For me, it only matters how he plays for Pakistan. What he does in the BBL does not matter to me.”

Babar, who remains one of Pakistan’s most reliable batters in the format, played eight T20Is in 2025, scoring 206 runs at an impressive average of 34.33, including two half-centuries.

His strike rate, however, remained under scrutiny, standing at 114.44.

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Salman Ali Agha also spoke about Pakistan’s approach in home conditions, highlighting how scoring patterns change depending on pitches and match situations.

“We have scored more than 200 in these conditions as well, you can see last year’s Bangladesh series,” he said. “But when you don’t get that kind of batting condition, then scoring big becomes difficult.”

The Pakistan captain stressed that modern T20 cricket has become highly competitive, leaving no room for complacency.

“In T20 cricket, there is no big or small team,” Salman said. “In international cricket, no team is easy.”

Calling the Australia series “very important,” Salman said Pakistan would look to address the shortcomings in their game and execute roles according to conditions.

“This series against Australia is very important,” he said. “We will try to cover the gaps in our game. We all know our roles, how we have to play according to the conditions.”

Notably, the three-match T20I series will serve as crucial preparation for both teams ahead of the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

READ: Jason Gillespie appointed head coach of PSL’s new Hyderabad franchise

Former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie has been officially named the head coach of the Hyderabad franchise ahead of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 11, scheduled to begin on March 26.

Hyderabad is one of the two new franchises added to the PSL roster ahead of season 11, with Sialkot Stallionz being the other new entrant.

The Hyderabad franchise is owned by Fawad Sarwar’s Kingsmen group and was secured through the PSL auction with a winning bid of Rs 1.75 billion ($6.25 million).

The announcement for the head coach was made through the Kingsmen Cricket social media handle, where the franchise shared a graphic featuring Gillespie along with a statement confirming his appointment.

“Vision clear. Direction locked. Entering a New Era. Jason Gillespie takes charge as Head Coach of Hyderabad,” the post read.

Vision clear. Direction locked. Entering a #NewEra ⚡️

𝗝𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗲 takes charge as Head Coach of Hyderabad in #HBLPSL 🙌

Welcome to the family, Coach 🤝 pic.twitter.com/aLqSLF94gT

— Kingsmen Cricket (@KingsmenCricket) January 28, 2026

The 50-year-old has previously worked in Pakistan cricket and was appointed as head coach of the national Test side in April 2024.

However, his stint was short-lived as he resigned ahead of Pakistan’s two-match Test series in South Africa in December 2024, amid reports of differences with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and difficulties in aligning with the team management.

Notably, the Hyderabad management is yet to officially unveil its team name and logo for the tournament.

READ: Platinum category renewals announced ahead of PSL 11 player auction

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled a five-member commentary panel for the upcoming T20I series against Australia.

The series will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, from 29 January to 1 February. The games will start at 4pm PKT with the coin toss set to take place at 3.30pm PST.

Notably, former Australia Test batter Simon Katich is set to return to Pakistan as a commentator for the three-match series. He last visited Pakistan in March 2022 to call the three-match Test series.

Katich will be joined in the commentary box by ex-Pakistan Test captains Aamir Sohail and Ramiz Raja, alongside former Test batter Bazid Khan.

Former Pakistan women’s team captain Urooj Mumtaz also completes the five-member commentary panel for the series.

Zainab Abbas is set to be the presenter for the PCB’s famous PitchSide Studio, as the viewers will soak in the expert analysis during the pre- and post-match shows of all three matches at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

The High-Definition broadcast coverage of the series will be carried out with the help of 28 cameras, which also include buggy cam. HawkEye and UltraEdge will be part of the Decision Review System (DRS) Technology.

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Moreover, ICC International Panel Match Referee Ali Naqvi will lead the playing control team in all three matches.

The second game will be his 50th T20I as match referee, as he officiated his first game in the format at the same venue in April 2023.

Ahsan Raza, member of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, will be one of the on-field umpires during the first two T20Is, while Asif Yaqoob of the ICC Emerging Panel of Umpires and Rashid Riaz of the ICC International Panel of Umpires will join him on the field in the first and second T20Is, respectively.

Rashid, the fourth umpire in the first T20I, will join Nasir Hussain of the ICC International Panel of Umpires in the third T20I to perform the on-field duties with PCB National Elite Panel of Umpires member Zulfiqar Jan being the fourth umpire.

Apart from being the fourth umpire in the second game, Nasir will begin the series as the third umpire, while Asif and Tariq Rasheed of the PCB National Elite Panel of Umpires will perform the third umpire duties in the second and third T20I, respectively.

READ: Mitchell Marsh unlikely to play first T20I against Pakistan, stand-in captain named

LAHORE: Australia opener Travis Head is set to captain the visitors in the first T20I against Pakistan on Thursday at the Gaddafi Stadium, with regular skipper Mitchell Marsh set to be rested for the series opener.

According to Australian media reports, Marsh and wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis are unlikely to feature in the opening match after arriving in Pakistan only on Wednesday, just days after their Perth Scorchers lifted a record-extending sixth Big Bash League title on Sunday.

With Marsh sitting out, Head will take charge of Australia for only the second time in his career. His only previous stint as T20I captain came in Cardiff in 2024, when he led Australia against England.

Australia’s preparations have also been hit by multiple absences, with Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Tim David and Nathan Ellis all ruled out through injury.

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Meanwhile, star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has been rested as he focuses on the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which begins next week.

The second and third T20Is of the series will also be played at the Gaddafi Stadium on January 31 and February 1, respectively.

The three-match series serves as key preparation for both sides ahead of the T20 World Cup, set to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.

Pakistan have been drawn in Group A alongside India, USA, the Netherlands and Namibia, while Australia will compete in Group B with Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe and Oman.

Australia squad

Mitch Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitch Owen, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, Matt Short, Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa.

READ: Platinum category renewals announced ahead of PSL 11 player auction

LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) on Wednesday revealed the Platinum category renewals ahead of the league’s first-ever player auction, set to take place on February 11.

A total of 16 players have been listed in the PSL 11 Platinum category, with Islamabad United dominating the renewals by naming six players, the most among all franchises.

Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators have three players each in the category, while Peshawar Zalmi named two. Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans have named one player each in Platinum.

The renewals also confirmed major category movements, with five local players promoted to Platinum, including Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, and Abrar Ahmed.

Interestingly, Farhan is the only player who made the jump from Gold, while the remaining four were previously part of the Diamond category.

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Meanwhile, several high-profile names have retained their Platinum status after featuring in the same category in PSL 10.

The list includes Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Amir.

Before the Platinum renewals were made official, the PSL had already confirmed category renewals in Silver, Gold, Diamond and Emerging, with a total of 89 players having their categories locked in ahead of the retention process.

Under the new structure, each franchise will be allowed to retain a maximum of four players, with the condition of one player per category.

After the retention window closes, franchises will move into the league’s historic first-ever auction on February 11 to complete their rosters.

PSL 11 Category Renewals (Retentions)

Platinum

• Islamabad United: Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim

• Karachi Kings: Hasan Ali

• Lahore Qalandars: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf

• Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam, Saim Ayub

• Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan

• Quetta Gladiators: Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Amir, Abrar Ahmed

Emerging

• Islamabad United: Saad Masood, Mohammad Shahzad, Ghazi Gouri

• Peshawar Zalmi: Abdullah Fazal, Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat

• Karachi Kings: Razaullah, Fawad Ali, Saad Baig

• Multan Sultans: Shahid Aziz, Mohammad Zulfikar

• Quetta Gladiators: Mohammad Zeeshan, Shamyl Hussain

• Lahore Qalandars: Momin Qamar

Silver

• Multan Sultans: Yasir Khan, Amir Barki, Mohammad Junaid, Humayun Altaf, Ali Imran, Jahanzaib Sultan, Ubaid Shah

• Lahore Qalandars: Mohammad Akhlaq, Mohammad Naeem, Mohammad Azab

• Islamabad United: Mohammad Faiq, Hunain Shah

• Peshawar Zalmi: Arif Yaqoob, Mehran Mumtaz

• Quetta Gladiators: Ali Majid

Gold

• Multan Sultans: Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Faisal Akram, Akif Javed, Tayyab Tahir

• Lahore Qalandars: Zaman Khan, Jahandad Khan, Asif Afridi, Asif Ali

• Islamabad United: Azam Khan, Haider Ali, Salman Irshad, Rumman Raees

• Peshawar Zalmi: Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Ali, Abdul Samad, Hussain Talat, Sufyan Muqeem, Ahmed Daniyal, Ihsanullah

• Quetta Gladiators: Khurram Shahzad, Haseebullah Khan, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Hassan Nawaz, Danish Aziz

• Karachi Kings: Khushdil Shah, Aamer Jamal, Irfan Khan Niazi, Mir Hamza, Zahid Mahmood, Omair bin Yousuf, Shahnawaz Dahani, Arafat Minhas

Diamond

• Karachi Kings: Abbas Afridi, Shan Masood

• Lahore Qalandars: Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Salman Mirza

• Peshawar Zalmi: Sufiyan Muqeem

• Multan Sultans: Usama Mir, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usman Khan

• Quetta Gladiators: Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Usman Tariq

READ: Silver, Gold category players revealed ahead of PSL 11 auction

Harry Brook’s blistering 57-ball hundred proved the difference as England romped to a famous 53-run victory over Sri Lanka on Tuesday to clinch the series and end the hosts’ five-year-long unbeaten ODI home run.

Sri Lanka had gone 12 series unbeaten at home, winning 11 and drawing one, but Brook’s counter-punch knocked them off their perch and swung the momentum decisively England’s way.

“It was a lot better pitch than we expected. It was an awesome effort from everyone involved,” said Brook, the England captain.

“Joe Root in particular was sensational. We are pretty pleased with the way the spinners went about things and that’s a good sign ahead of the World Cup.”

Chasing a daunting 358 at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium, the hosts came out all guns blazing, racing to 104 inside ten overs of the Powerplay.

But once the field spread, the boundaries dried up.

In a bid to keep up with the required run-rate, Sri Lanka’s batters took the aerial route and paid the price, as England snapped up catches with sharp work in the deep.

Young Pavan Rathnayake stood tall amid the collapse, unfurling a maiden international hundred that underlined his promise.

He was the last man out for 121 off 115 balls, striking 12 fours and a six, as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 304 in 46.4 overs.

England, who had stumbled in the opening ODI, found their rhythm as the series wore on, adapting quickly to oppressive heat and turning tracks.

After squaring the contest on Saturday, they delivered a polished all-round display when it mattered most.

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The defeat saw Sri Lanka slip one place to sixth in the ICC ODI rankings, with South Africa moving up to fifth.

Brook’s brutal 136 not out off just 66 balls was an exhibition of clean hitting that left the home attack gasping for air and the 4,000-strong English contingent of supporters in raptures as the tourists finished on 357 for three, having opted to bat first.

Brook’s 11 fours and nine sixes was power hitting with a surgeon’s precision, a blend of muscle and timing that gave England the advantage.

Brook had walked into the series under the microscope following revelations that he was fined £30,000 after a nightclub altercation in New Zealand last October.

But he looked to have put the incident behind him in posting his third ODI hundred.

The platform was laid by an unbroken 191-run stand with former skipper Joe Root for the fourth wicket, a partnership that gave England total control.

With 130 runs scored in the last 10 overs, England turned a strong total into a mountainous one.

Root’s own milestone, his 20th ODI hundred, was overshadowed by Brook’s masterclass.

The former captain remained unbeaten on 111, continuing his role as Sri Lanka’s chief tormentor after half centuries in the first two ODIs.

Earlier, a 126 run stand between Root and Jacob Bethell for the third wicket had set the stage for the late innings carnage.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers simply had no answers.

It was England’s highest score against Sri Lanka in ODIs.

It was also the fourth-highest score at the venue, where anything north of 300 is usually a match-winning one.

“Harry Brook just took the game away from us. It was a stunning knock,” said Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka.

“But (there were a) lot of positives for us. Pavan Rathnayake has been scoring heavily in domestic cricket and he showcased what he can do today.”

READ: U19 World Cup: India crush Zimbabwe to claim top spot

PAARL: Aiden Markram’s 86* from 47 balls and George Linde’s clinical three-wicket haul sealed a commanding nine-wicket victory for South Africa over West Indies in the opening T20I fixture of the three-match series here at the Boland Park.

South Africa chased down 174 run target with ease, losing only one wicket with 13 balls to spare.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius and skipper Aiden Markram made light work of the chase with a 83 run opening stand in 7.5 overs.

Pretorius eye catching 44 from 28 balls featured half a dozen boundaries and a maximum.

After losing a wicket, Markram and Ryan Rickelton guided South Africa in the chase, forging an unbeaten 93* stand that took them over the line. 

The skipper struck three sixes and nine fours in his 86 from 47, whereas Ryan Rickelton made 40 off 32 with the help of two sixes and a boundary.

For West Indies, Roston Chase remained the solitary wicket taker.

Earlier, Shimron Hetmyer’s brisk half-century powered West Indies to a strong total

Put into bat first, West Indies racked up 173-7 at the end of their allotted 20 overs.

Brandon King and Johnson Charles provided the visitors a rapid start, adding 39 in first 3.5 overs.

However, once Keshav Maharaj was introduced into the attack, things slowed down for West Indies.

The ace left-arm spinner provided South Africa with the first breakthrough, castling Charles for 13. He then followed it up by dismissing Sherfane Rutherford.

Meanwhile, King, who was looking good, also sent back to leave his side in a mess. The right-hander made 27 off 17, striking five fours and a six.

As a result, West Indies were reduced to 50-3 in 5.4 overs.

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After a vivid start from South Africa bowlers, they held back the West Indies batters till the halfway stage of the game.

At one stage, West Indies were 95-5 in 11.1 overs before Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell steadied the innings with a 74-run stand.

The pair brought the total to 169 in 19.2 overs, with Hetmyer caught on the boundary rope, thanks to an excellent catch from Dewald Breivis.

The soutpaw tonked three sixes and four boundaries in his 48 from 32 balls.

Meanwhile, Powell remained unbeaten on 29 from 25, striking a six and two fours.

For South Africa, George Linde starred with a three-wicket haul while Corbin Bosch and Keshav Maharaj took a brace.

Playing XIs

South Africa: 1 Aiden Markram (capt), 2 Lhuan-dre Pretorius, 3 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 4 Dewald Brevis, 5 Rubin Hermann, 6 Jason Smith, 7 George Linde, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Keshav Maharaj, 11 Kwena Maphaka

West Indies: 1 Brandon King, 2 Roston Chase (capt), 3 Johnson Charles (wk), 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Rovman Powell, 6 Sherfane Rutherford, 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Jason Holder, 9 Matthew Forde, 10 Jayden Seales, 11 Akeal Hosein

READ: U19 World Cup: India crush Zimbabwe to claim top spot

BULAWAYO: Vihaan Malhotra’s sublime century backed by an all-round bowling effort sealed a 204 run victory for India over Zimbabwe in their Super Six encounter of the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2026 here at the Queens Sports Club on Tuesday.

Set daunting 353, Zimbabwe innings folded for mere 148 run total in 37.4 overs.

Pacers RS Ambrish and Henil Patel made early inroads, removing Nathaniel Hlabangana and Dhruv Patel  inside first three overs.

The third wicket fell in the eighth over as the hosts were reduced to 24-3.

However, Leeroy Chiwaula and Kian Blignaut arrested the slide with a 69 run stand. The pair brought the total to 93 in 26.5 overs.

Blignaut was cleaned bowled for 37 off 73 balls which included four boundaries.

Despite the wicket, Chiwaula held one end and stitched a 49 run partnership to keep Zimbabwe afloat.

But both batters were removed in successive overs, sparking a collapse which the side could not recover from.

Chiwaula top scored with 62 from 77 balls which included a six and seven boundaries.

For India, Ayush Mhatre and Udhav Mohan shared six wickets between them. Meanwhile RS Ambrish also managed to took two wickets.

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Earlier, put into bat first, India managed to put 352-8 on the board at the end of their 50 overs.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi laid a strong foundation with a brisk half-century, scoring 52 from just 30, hitting four boundaries and same number of maximums.

After a steady start, Vihaan Malhotra and Abhigyan Kundu forged a 113 run partnership, to propel India to a big total.

Malhotra scord unbeaten 109 from 107 balls which was laced with seven fours while Kundu’s 61 from 62 included five fours and a six.

For Zimbabwe, Tatenda Chimugoro remained the stand out bowler with three wickets to his name.

With this victory, India moved to top position in the Group 2 with six points.

READ: Silver, Gold category players revealed ahead of PSL 11 auction

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday released the list of player placed in the Silver and Gold category ahead of the upcoming Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) 11 auction.

A total of 16 players, including a number of renowned names are listed in the Silver category ahead of the PSL 11 player auction. Among the franchises, Multan Sultans has listed six players in the Silver category.

Meanwhile, Quetta Gladiators and Karachi Kings have listed one player in the respected category.

 

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Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United have included two players. On the contrary, Lahore Qalandars have included three players in the silver category.

In Gold category 33 players have been named, including a number of renowned names who have represented Pakistan at the international stage.

 

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The strategic shift is aimed at enhancing competitive balance, increasing transparency, and providing players’ greater earning opportunities.

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Under the revised framework, each franchise will be allowed to retain a maximum of four players, with only one retention permitted per category.

This marks a sharp departure from previous seasons, where teams could retain up to eight players, along with additional provisions such as mentors, brand ambassadors and the Right to Match (RTM) option.

For PSL 11, the PCB has abolished the mentor, brand ambassador and RTM clauses altogether, streamlining the squad-building process ahead of the auction.

The two newly inducted franchises, Hyderabad and Sialkot, will also be granted special provisions, allowing them to select and retain four players from the available pool before the player auction.

In addition, every team will be permitted one direct signing of a foreign player who did not feature in PSL 10, a move designed to inject fresh international talent into the competition.

The PSL 11 will get underway on March 26, 2026, and will mark Faisalabad’s first-ever stint as a host city. The venue will join Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi, expanding the league to five host cities.

READ: Emerging category retentions revealed ahead of PSL 11 auction

LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 on Tuesday announced the renewals for Silver and Emerging categories ahead of the landmark player auction, set to be held on 11 February.

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 has announced the renewals for its Silver and Emerging categories ahead of the landmark player auction, scheduled for 11 February.

The announcement was made on PSL social media handles, with the existing six outfits revealing their retained names.

Three times PSL winners Islamabad United retained all-rounders Saad Masood and Mohammad Shahzad, alongside wicket keeper Ghazi Ghouri.

Meanwhile, the 2020 edition winners Karachi Kings retained pacers Riazullah and Fawad Ali, as well as wicket keeper-batter Saad Baig.

 

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Peshawar Zalmi held on to opening batter Abdullah Fazal, fast bowler Ali Raza and Maaz Sadaqat.

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The PSL X winners Lahore Qalandars have named just one player in the emerging category, retaining left-arm wrist spinner Momin Qamar.

Multan Sultans also have retained medium pacer Shahid Aziz and wicket keeper Mohammad Zulkifal.

Similarly, Quetta Gladiators chose fast bowler Mohammad Zeeshan and opener Shamyl Hussain as their emerging category retentions.

It is worth mentioning that this will be the first time since PSL’s inception that a player’s auction will be held instead of the traditional Draft system.

The strategic shift is aimed at enhancing competitive balance, increasing transparency, and providing players’ greater earning opportunities.

Under the revised framework, each franchise will be allowed to retain a maximum of four players, with only one retention permitted per category.

This marks a sharp departure from previous seasons, where teams could retain up to eight players, along with additional provisions such as mentors, brand ambassadors and the Right to Match (RTM) option.

For PSL 11, the PCB has abolished the mentor, brand ambassador and RTM clauses altogether, streamlining the squad-building process ahead of the auction.

The two newly inducted franchises, Hyderabad and Sialkot, will also be granted special provisions, allowing them to select and retain four players from the available pool before the player auction.

In addition, every team will be permitted one direct signing of a foreign player who did not feature in PSL 10, a move designed to inject fresh international talent into the competition.

The PCB also confirmed that PSL 11 will get underway on March 26, 2026, and will mark Faisalabad’s first-ever stint as a host city. The venue will join Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi, expanding the league to five host cities.

READ: Former New Zealand cricketer named Islamabad United new head coach