Tag: PCB

LAHORE: Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah has issued a public apology after being fined Rs. 20 million by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for breaching clauses of his central contract and social media guidelines following a controversial post on X.

The 23-year-old addressed the matter shortly after the PCB announced the outcome of a disciplinary hearing, clarifying that the post in question was shared by his management team and did not reflect his personal views.

“A recent post from my account was made by my management team and does not reflect my views,” Naseem stated. “I take full responsibility for my platform and have implemented the necessary changes to ensure this does not happen again. I sincerely apologise to everyone affected.”

The incident traces back to the opening match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, where Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz attended as the guest of honour.

During the ceremony, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi welcomed her and introduced her to franchise owners.

Shortly after, a post from Naseem’s X account, quoting a PCB upload, sparked widespread debate. The now-deleted message questioned the treatment of the chief minister, drawing strong reactions across social media.

The fast bowler initially claimed that his account had been hacked, stating it had since been recovered. However, following a formal inquiry, the PCB concluded that multiple contractual and digital conduct clauses had been violated.

According to the board, a show-cause notice was issued on March 27, followed by a personal hearing conducted by a three-member disciplinary committee after reviewing Naseem’s response.

Despite noting his unconditional apology, the PCB imposed a fine of Rs20 million. The board further confirmed that Naseem had terminated his social media adviser, who has now been blacklisted from working with any players under PCB’s jurisdiction.

READ: Cameron Green barred from bowling in IPL 2026 amid injury concerns

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced a comprehensive ticket refund policy for the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 11, following the decision to stage the tournament without spectators.

The move comes after a major revision to the event’s original plans, with PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirming earlier that the entire tournament will now be held across just two venues, Karachi and Lahore, behind closed doors due to the prevailing regional situation.

As a result, fans who had already purchased tickets for matches will now be eligible for refunds, with the board clarifying that the process will be automatic for online bookings.

According to the PCB, all tickets purchased through digital platforms will be refunded directly to the original payment method used at the time of booking. This includes transactions made via debit and credit cards, as well as mobile wallets such as JazzCash and Easypaisa.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board and HBL PSL appreciate your patience and look forward to welcoming you back to the stadiums for an even more exciting cricketing experience in future,” the PCB stated in a press release.

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“For any ticket refund related queries get in touch at [email protected].”

The refund process is set to begin on March 30, 2026, and is expected to be completed within 15 working days. However, the board noted that timelines may vary slightly depending on individual banks or payment service providers.

Importantly, ticket holders are not required to take any action to initiate the refund. In case of delays beyond the stated timeframe, customers have been advised to contact their respective banks or payment platforms for further assistance.

The PCB also expressed appreciation for the fans’ understanding amid the changes and reiterated its commitment to bringing spectators back to stadiums in future editions.

READ: PSL 11: Rawalpindiz bring in Usman Khawaja as replacement signing

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday officially announced the final squads and detailed schedule for the upcoming National T20 Cup 2026.

The tournament will commence on Saturday, March 7, with the semi-finals slated for March 17 and the final scheduled a day later on March 18.

A total of 23 matches will be played at the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium, which previously hosted nine Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixtures in October and November 2025.

This year’s competition will feature 10 regional sides: Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Karachi Whites, Karachi Blues, Lahore Blues, Lahore Whites, Multan and Sialkot.

Group A comprises Lahore Whites, Peshawar, Faisalabad, Karachi Whites and Bahawalpur.

Meanwhile, defending champions Lahore Blues headline Group B alongside Sialkot, Multan, Abbottabad and Karachi Blues.

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The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals.

During the group stage, two matches will be played daily from March 7 to 16. The first fixture will begin at 4:15pm PKT, followed by the second at 9:15pm PKT. The final is set to start at 8:00pm PKT, with the toss scheduled for 7:30pm.

The squads feature a mix of seasoned internationals, emerging prospects and guest players, promising a highly competitive tournament.

Abbottabad will be led by Khalid Usman and include notable names such as Kamran Ghulam, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jr., and Shadab Khan as guest players.

Bahawalpur will be captained by Muhammad Imran, with Haider Ali and Daniyal Hussain Rajput among their guest inclusions.

Faisalabad, under Muhammad Irfan Khan, boast the services of Asif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mubasir Khan and Zaman Khan.

Karachi Whites will be spearheaded by Saud Shakeel and feature Shan Masood and Saim Ayub, while Karachi Blues, captained by Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, include Shahnawaz Dahani and Mehran Mumtaz among their ranks.

Defending champions Lahore Blues will be led by Saad Nasim, while Lahore Whites will be captained by Aamir Jamal.

Multan have named Imam-ul-Haq as captain, with Aamir Yamin and Faisal Akram part of their setup.

Peshawar will be led by Mohammad Rizwan and feature Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Haris and Abbas Afridi.

Sialkot, under Usama Mir, include Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Ali among their key players.

National T20 Cup Squads

Abbottabad

Khalid Usman (captain), Afaq Ahmed, Ahmed Khan, Arshad Iqbal, Atizaz Habib Khan, Fayyaz Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Khushdil Shah (Guest), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Guest), Mohammad Mohsin Khan, Razaullah, Sajjad Ali (wk), Shadab Khan (Guest), Shahab Khan and Shahzaib Khan (U21)

Reserves: Hamid Ali, Adil Naz, Fakhar Zaman, Afaq Khan, Riazullah (U21)

Bahawalpur

Muhammad Imran (captain), Ali Shabbir (U21), Daniyal Hussain Rajput (Guest), Mohammad Faizan Zafar, Haider Ali (Guest), Hasnain Majid (U21), Khaqan Basheer, Mohammad Akram (wk), Mohammad Azab, Mohammad Basit, Mohammad Junaid, Muhammad Sarwar Afridi (Guest), Mohammad Sudais, Mohammad Umair and Saad Khan (Guest)

Reserves: Ali Hamza Waseem, Aoun Shahzad, Mohammad Faizan (U21), Amjad Ali, Gulfam Aziz

Faisalabad

Muhammad Irfan Khan (captain), Ahmad Safi Abdullah, Afaq Afridi (Guest), Asif Ali, Asim Ali Nasir (wk), Atiq-ur-Rehman, Daniyal Ali Khan (U21), Faham-ul-Haq (U21), Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Faizan, Mohammad Zeeshan (U21), Momin Qamar (U21), Mubasir Khan (Guest), Muhammad Awais Zafar and Zaman Khan (Guest)

Reserves: Mudassir Zunair, Ali Shan, Ali Asfand, Taimur Sultan, Shehzad Gul

Karachi Whites

Saud Shakeel (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Arif Yaqoob, Danish Aziz, Haroon Arshad (U21), Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Asghar, Muhammad Hamza Sohail, Muhammad Umar, Omair Bin Yousuf, Rizwanullah, Saifullah Bangash (wk), Saim Ayub, Saqib Khan and Shan Masood

Reserves: Asadullah Hamza, Muhammad Tariq Khan, Sohail Khan (wk), Mir Hamza, Huzaifa Ahsan

Karachi Blues

Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (captain, wk), Ahsan Ali, Asad Akhtar, Jahandad Khan (Guest), Jahanzaib Sultan, Khalil Ahmed (Guest), Mehran Mumtaz (Guest), Mohammad Taha, Muhammad Usman Raheem, Rameez Aziz, Rehman Ghani, Saad Baig (wk), Shahnawaz Dahani (Guest), Syed Shah Raza Naqvi and Wahaj Riaz

Reserves: Aarish Ali Khan, Raza Chandio, Mohammad Makki, Niqab Shafiq, Huzaifa Munir

Lahore Blues

Saad Nasim (captain), Abdullah Asif (U21), Ahmed Bashir, Ali Hassan Baloch (U21), Ali Razzaq, Asadullah, Attyab Ahmed, Hamza Zahoor (wk), Hunain Shah, Imran Butt, Mohammad Rizwan, Nisar Ahmed, Qasim Akram, Shahid Aziz (Guest) and Umar Siddiq

Reserves: Hammad Butt, Shahrukh Ali, Khawaja Mohammad Abdullah (wk), Mohammad Ahsan, Abubakar (U21)

Lahore Whites

Aamir Jamal (captain), Ali Raza, Ali Shahid Butt, Farhan Yousuf (U21), Imran Dogar, Junaid Ali (wk), Kamran Afzal, Mohammad Faiq, Muhammad Akhlaq, Mohammad Mohsin, Mohammad Rameez Jnr, Muhammad Saleem, Samama Riaz, Tayyab Tahir and Ubaid Shah

Reserves: Hamza Nawaz (U21), Muhammad Arsalan (U21), Usama Tariq, Zahid Khan, Zian Bin Farooq (wk)

Multan

Imam-ul-Haq (captain), Aamir Yamin, Ali Majid, Ali Usman, Bismillah Khan (Guest, wk), Faisal Akram, Hasan Hafeez, Mohammad Ismail (U21), Mohammad Naeem (Guest), Muhammad Shahzad, Moheer Saeed, Sharoon Siraj, Sirajuddin, Waseem Akram Jnr and Zain Abbas

Reserves: Uzair Mumtaz, Abdul Wahab (U21), Mohammad Shan (U21), Saim Ayaz, Alam Zaib Khan (wk)

Peshawar

Mohammad Rizwan (captain, wk), Ahmed Hussain (U21), Azam Khan, Ihsanullah, Iftikhar Ahmed, Israrullah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Shoaib (U21), Mohammad Imran Jnr, Nabi Gul, Sajid Khan, Usman Tariq, Waqar Ahmed and Yasir Khan

Reserves: Nizar Ali, Muhammad Amir Khan, Abuzar Tariq, Muhammad Amir Barki

Sialkot

Usama Mir (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Ahmad Hassan, Ahsan Hafeez Bhatti, Ali Afzal (wk), Athar Mehmood, Azan Awais, Hamza Nazar, Khawaja Arham, Mirza Tahir Baig, Mohsin Riaz (wk), Mohammad Ali, Saeed Ali, Shoaib Akhtar Jnr and Tayyab Arif

Reserves: Aashir Mehmood, Mohammad Hurraira, Shahzad Bhatti, Abdul Subhan, Awais Ali, Afzaal Manzoor

Hasan Nawaz and Sufyan Moqim will join the squad later.

READ: Babar Azam out as Pakistan name ODI squad for Bangladesh series

LAHORE: The National T20 Cup Qualifier 2025-26 is set to commence on Saturday, 14 February here at the Gaddafi Stadium.

According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), 10 regional teams will compete for a place in the 10-team main event.

“A total of 10 regional teams have been divided into two groups of five, while the table toppers from each group will qualify for the 10-team main event scheduled in late February and March,” the press release wrote.

“The final of the tournament, between the top two teams from each group, will take place on 24 February at the Gaddafi Stadium. The 10 teams will play a total of 21 matches, including the final,” it added.

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Group A comprises Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Islamabad, Karachi Blues, Larkana, and Quetta, while Group B consists of Bahawalpur, Dera Murad Jamali, FATA, Hyderabad, and Rawalpindi. Each team will play four group matches each.

All the matches will be live-streamed on Tapmad in Pakistan and on the PCB YouTube channel outside Pakistan.

All days from 14 to 23 February will see double-headers.

The matches taking place before Ramzan are set to begin at 4pm and 8.30pm, while the matches afterwards will start at 7pm and 11.15pm.

Pool A – Karachi Blues, Quetta, Larkana, Islamabad, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir

Pool B – FATA, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Dera Murad Jamal,i and Bahawalpur

Squads:

Azad Jammu and Kashmir: Hasan Raza (captain), Adil Azad, Amir Nazir (wk), Aqib Liaqat, Arslan Mahzood, Awais Akram, Faizan Saleem, Hasnain Shamir, Husnain Nadeem, Jawad Imtiaz, Nadeem Khalil, Saad Asif, Umer Hayat, Usman Yousuf, and Zaman Khan

Bahawalpur: Mohammad Imran (captain), Ali Afzal, Ali Hamza, Ali Shabbir, Faizan Zafar, Khaqan Basheer, Mohammad Sudais, Muhammad Akram, Muhammad Ammar, Muhammad Azab, Muhammad Basit, Muhammad Faizan, Muhammad Junaid, Muhammad Umair, and Shahid Mirani

Dera Murad Jamali: Fahad Hussain (captain), Basit Ali, Dawood Khan, Farhan Ullah, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Khan, Muhammad Shahid, Nasir Khan, Rasool Baksh, Sajjad Ahmed, Sajjad Ali, Saleem Mal, Shoaib Ahmed, Taimur Ali and Tariq Jameel

FATA: Asif Afridi (captain), Afaq Afridi, Azaz Khan, Khubaib Khalil, Khushdil Shah, Maaz Khan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Naeem, Muhammad Sarwar, Muhammad Waseem Khan, Rehan Afridi, Salman Khan, Sameen Gul, Samiullah Jnr and Sirajuddin

Hyderabad: Sharjeel Khan (captain), Akbar Khan, Asad Malik, Daniyal Rajput, Haris Khanzada, Jawad Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Meesam, Mustafa Nasir, Noman Ali, Rizwan Mehmood, Shehryar Baloch, Suleman Khan, Ubaidullah Rahupoto, and Zain-ul-Abedeen

Islamabad: Umair Riaz (captain), Arsal Sheikh, Farhan Ali, Farman Ullah, Hammad Siddique, Hamza Waheed, Haris Rauf, Kaleem Dil, Rizwan Ali, Musa Khan, Naseerullah, Shahbaz Khan, Shayan Sheikh, Umair and Umar Nawaz

Karachi Blues: Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (captain), Aarish Ali Khan, Ahsan Ali, Fahad Amin, Jahanzaib Sultan, Maaz Khurram Amin, Muhammad Afzal, Muhammad Raza Chandio, Muhammad Taha, Muhammad Usman Rahim, Rameez Aziz, Rehman Ghani, Syed Shah Raza, Wahaj Riaz, and Zeeshan Zameer

Larkana: Zahid Mehmood (captain), Aamir Ali Taheem, Ali Asghar, Asif Chandio, Ghulam Raza, Malhar Rasool, Mohsin Raza, Muhammad Aqeel Danish, Muhammad Huzaifa, Mushtaq Ahmed, Sabit Ali Siyal, Saqlain Nawaz Rajput, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shahzaib Aziz, and Zahid Hussain

Quetta: Jalat Khan (captain), Abdul Hameed, Abdul Hanan, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Bismillah Khan, Bohair Aman, Haseebullah, Jahangir Shah, Khalil Ahmed, Muhammad Ibrahim, Muhammad Idrees, Muhammad Junaid, Najeed Ullah, Salahuddin, and Yasir Khan

Rawalpindi: Haider Ali (captain), Abdul Faseeh, Abdul Qadir, Ali Husnain, Jahandad Khan, Kashif Ali, M Faizan, Mehran Mumtaz, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Nabeel, Nasir Nawaz, Shahbaz Tabrez, Taimur Khan, Yasir Khan, and Zeeshan Malik

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The International Cricket Council is in talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board to resolve the boycott of its T20 World Cup match against India on February 15, AFP learnt Saturday.

Any clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan is one of the most lucrative in cricket, worth millions of dollars in broadcast, sponsor and advertising revenue.

But the fixture was thrown into doubt after Pakistan’s government ordered the team not to play the match in Colombo.

The Pakistan Cricket Board reached out to the ICC after a formal communication from the cricket’s world body, a source close to the developments told AFP.

The ICC was seeking a resolution through dialogue and not confrontation, the source added.

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The 20-team tournament has been overshadowed by an acrimonious political build-up after Bangladesh, who refused to play in India citing security concerns, were replaced by Scotland.

As a protest, Pakistan refused to face co-hosts India in their Group A fixture.

Pakistan, who edged out Netherlands in the tournament opener on Saturday, will lose two points if they forfeit the match and also suffer a significant blow to their net run rate.

India skipper Suryakumar Yadav said this week that his team would travel to Colombo for the clash.

Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for more than a decade, and meet only in global or regional tournaments.

READ: Rahmanullah Gurbaz pulls out of PSL 11

LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has recorded another major commercial milestone ahead of season 11 after successfully selling its international media rights, with the India region deliberately excluded from the deal.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that the one-year agreement for global media rights, excluding India, has been awarded to Walee Technologies, which emerged as the highest bidder and surpassed the PCB’s reserve price.

The PCB further revealed that, on a comparable basis, the latest agreement reflects a 149 percent increase in value over the previous cycle, underlining the league’s growing global footprint and strengthening brand value.

PSL Chief Executive Officer Salman Naseer welcomed the outcome and termed it a strong validation of the league’s commercial growth.

“We are extremely pleased with the outcome of the International Media Rights sale, which has delivered a remarkable 149% increase over the last cycle for the same regions,” Naseer said.

“This growth is a strong validation of the HBL PSL brand, its competitive quality, and its increasing appeal to cricket fans around the world.”

He added that the league continues to attract strong interest internationally and remains on an upward commercial trajectory.

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“The HBL PSL continues to attract strong global interest, and this agreement reinforces our confidence in the league’s long-term commercial trajectory and its ability to deliver value across diverse international markets,” he said.

Naseer also acknowledged Walee Technologies for pushing beyond past benchmarks.

“We are grateful to Walee Technologies for stepping up the ante in the New Era and breaking past records,” he added.

Meanwhile, Walee Technologies CEO Ahsan Tahir expressed excitement over partnering with the marquee league, calling it a major moment for local innovation.

“This is a victory for every Pakistani who believes in ‘Made in Pakistan’ technology,” Tahir said.

“This is just the start of our HBL PSL journey. We have a lot of plans, and we’d like everyone to eagerly await everything Walee is about to do.”

Notably, the PCB’s decision to withhold PSL media rights for the India region comes amid strained relations between the two countries, with Pakistan recently announcing its decision to boycott the India clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

READ: Multan Sultans to go into PSL 11 auction with zero retentions

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday confirmed that it has approved five bidders for the auction of the owner-less Multan Sultans ahead of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11. 

The PCB confirmed the bidders in a press release following the technical evaluation of the proposals.

“A total of six proposals were received from interested parties within the stipulated deadline. The PCB bid committee then carried out a thorough and transparent evaluation process,” the PCB said.

“Out of the six proposals, five (5) bidders have been termed technically qualified, who will now take part in the Auction process of the Multan Sultans. The date and venue for the Auction will be shared in due course,” it added.

Following the announcement, the Chief Executive Officer of PSL, Salman Nasee,r expressed his excitement and shared his thoughts on the evaluation process.

“We are delighted to receive such keen interest in the sale of Multan Sultans’ Franchise Rights,” he said.

“The HBL PSL congratulates the technically qualified bidders and appreciates all parties who engaged with us through-out the tender process; with whom we will continue to explore other exciting opportunities,” he added.

He mentioned the league’s new era and expressed confidence ahead of the PSL 11 auction.

“I’m sure the fans are equally excited for another thrilling Team Auction before the focus shifts to all important Player Auction for HBL PSL 11. The final lineup of the eight HBL PSL team owners is going to set the ball rolling for the New Era of the HBL PSL 11,” he concluded.

For the unversed, the process began after the departure of Multan Sultans’ former owner, Ali Tareen, who announced in November that he was stepping away from the franchise.

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The reason for Tareen’s departure was strained relations with the PCB that had persisted for over a year, ultimately reaching a point of no return.

Subsequently, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced that the board would assume control of the franchise upon expiry of the existing ownership agreement on December 31, 2025.

The initial plan was for the PCB to operate the team for a year before auctioning it in 2027.

However, strong valuations achieved in the recent auction are understood to have encouraged the PCB to proceed with the sale of Multan Sultans earlier than planned.

The landmark auction, held at the Jinnah Convention Centre last month, saw FKS Group and OZ Developers acquire the newly added franchises from Hyderabad and Sialkot for Rs1.75 billion and Rs1.85 billion, respectively, expanding the PSL to eight teams from season 11.

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LAHORE: Player retention rules and the proposed ‘drauction’ system were among the key issues discussed during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Governing Council meeting held at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) on Friday.

Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chaired the meeting, which was also attended by representatives from all eight PSL franchises, along with the officials.

“Chairman PCB and the HBL PSL team were also congratulated on the successful conduct of the New Teams Auction, which reflected growth and evolution of the league,” the board said in a press release.

“During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on various matters, including the schedule of the HBL PSL 11, player retentions, adoption of the player auction or a unique combination of auction and draft termed as ‘drauction’, and the option of opening direct signings,” it added.

Mohsin Naqvi also congratulated on the successful conduct of the new teams auction, highlighting the league’s growth.

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During the meeting, it was also decided that PSL 11 will kick off on Thursday, 26 March.

The meeting was adjourned with the constitution of a working group to meet on Saturday to deliberate further on agenda items, where, after the Governing council meeting, will be reconvened immediately as necessary.

READ: Clinical England outplay Pakistan in U19 World Cup

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced on Sunday to take over control of the Multan Sultans for the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Naqvi, at a press conference, revealed the decision, noting that the auction of the outfit will be held following the conclusion of PSL 11.

“Multan Sultans will be operated by the PCB this year. Once the PSL concludes, we will carry out the auction process and put the franchise up for sale. However, for this season, the board will run the Sultans,” Naqvi said.

He shed light on the decision and stated that a professional cricketer will take charge of the Sultans for PSL 11.

“For this purpose, we will appoint an acting head within the next eight to ten days who will oversee the team. A professional cricketer will be brought in to manage Multan Sultans for this season,” he continued.

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For those unaware, this comes after Sultan’s former owner, Ali Tareen, said goodbye to the franchise he owned in 2018. Tareen cited finances as a reason for parting ways with the team.

Meanwhile, the auction of the two new outfits is set for 8 January 2026, with 10 bidders gearing up to compete for the teams.

A day earlier, PCB completed the technical Evaluation of the proposal submitted by bidders for the sale of two new PSL outfits.

“A total of 12 proposals were received from interested parties within the stipulated deadline from across the globe and were scrutinised by the PCB Bid Committee over the last three days,” the board had said in a press release.

“Following a thorough and transparent evaluation process, the PCB Bid Committee has qualified 10 Bidders who have successfully met the technical criteria and now enter the second stage,” it added.

The Pakistan Super League, which began in 2016 with five outfits, is set to expand with the addition of two new teams.

Notably, the league expanded to five teams in 2018 with the addition of Multan Sultans. With the addition of two new franchises, the league will undergo its first major restructuring in seven years, taking the total to eight teams.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday announced that it had received an encouraging response to the tender issued for the sale of two new franchises in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

According to the board, it has received an overwhelming response from 12 parties within the stipulated deadline.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced an exceptional and encouraging response to the tender issued for the sale of two new franchises of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Within the stipulated deadline, 12 parties have formally submitted their bids,” the board said in a press release.

“These bidders belong to five continents, including the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Pakistan, which clearly reflects the PSL’s growing global popularity and commercial appeal,” it added.

As per the board, the outcome of this particular phase of the bidding process will be revealed on 27 December, while technically qualified bidders will be given a chance to purchase the two new teams through an open competition bidding process.

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The open competition bidding will be held on 8 January at the Islamabad Convention Centre.

Earlier, the bid deadline previously set for December 22 was extended to December 24 for the second time due to the two bank holidays and at the request of the bidding parties.

For the unversed, the Pakistan Super League, which began in 2016 with five outfits, is set to expand with the addition of two new teams.

Notably, the league expanded to five teams in 2018 with the addition of Multan Sultans.

With the addition of two new teams, the league will undergo its first major restructuring in seven years, taking the total to eight teams.

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