Najam Sethi is back in charge of the six-franchise Pakistan Super League (PSL) and promises flawless execution.
Six franchises will compete for the newly created Supernova Trophy during the month-long eighth HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) on Monday in Multan, an unexpected location chosen by the PCB.
Lahore Qalandars, the defending champions, will play Multan Sultans in the first game at the Multan Cricket Stadium with the goal of picking up where they left off in the previous season with the 2022 HBL PSL trophy in hand.
High-octane action is promised throughout this year’s HBL PSL’s 34 domestic T20 matches, which will be contested at four different locations in Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi.
The stunning Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will serve as the venue for the championship.
Even though former chairman Zaka Ashraf had the idea to organise it, the HBL PSL began play under the leadership of then-chairman Najam Sethi.
Although India and Australia had already adopted the notion of a T20 league in the form of the Indian Premier League and the Big Bash League, respectively, Sethi is credited with making it a reality.
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Although the HBL PSL was viewed as a latecomer, the calibre of cricket played over the course of its seven editions has given it the right to rank among the top T20 leagues worldwide.
Since he has been invited to take over the PCB once more and his first major duty is to produce the HBL PSL with no sacrifice on quality, Sethi will be pleased to watch it get stronger with each new edition.
T20 leagues, however, have demonstrated that they are independent of the management’s impact and are more dependent on the calibre of players and the amount of star players who participate in them in terms of numbers and popularity.
It’s possible that Sethi made the decision to introduce a new trophy for the eighth edition to signal his return to leadership and to refresh both his and the competition’s image. However, the tight outcomes, the suspenseful games, and the great players’ contributions to their individual organisations will ultimately determine how the HBL PSL performed this season.
KARACHI KINGS
The Karachi Kings will be attempting to turn around their fortunes in the upcoming eighth season with the return of former captain and all-rounder Imad Wasim. Imad will be assured when he guides Karachi to their lone HBL PSL championship in 2020.
LAHORE QALANDARS
Shaheen Shah Afridi, a left-arm bowler, has assured everyone that he is well and ready to go. If so, Lahore Qalandars, like all previous champions, are one of the favourites to win the title this year.
ISLAMABAD UNITED
Quetta’s captain has remained the same during the course of the HBL PSL’s seven seasons, but Islamabad United has maintained a constant level of play and the ability to spot and choose star players.
MULTAN SULTANS
Mohammad Rizwan, the keeper-batter, led In the last two seasons of the HBL PSL, Multan Sultans have been the most reliable and powerful side.
The fact that Multan has kept their core group of players from 2022 increases their chances of winning the Supernova Trophy, along with Lahore, who are also among the favourites this year.
PESHAWAR ZALMI
The West Indies skipper and two-time World T20 champion Darren Sammy was given the most attention by Peshawar of any player. But this time around, Peshawar has scored a jewel in the form of Babar Azam, the captain of the ICC 2022 ODI XI and the 2022 Player of the Year.
Regardless of whether Peshawar wins the championship this year or not, they will be grateful to have Babar’s services for this year and a few years to come.