ISLAMABAD: In the grand carnival of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where cities light up like stages for cricket’s finest drama, Peshawar remains a lone spectator—its stadium silent, its stands yearning. Despite the unyielding calls from devoted fans and the persistent drumbeat of Peshawar Zalmi’s owner, Javed Afridi, the city has yet to host a single match. As the ninth edition approaches, hope flickers once more that Peshawar’s turn under the floodlights may finally arrive.
The Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium has undergone a lot of renovation in the last two years in the hope of becoming a part of the PSL host cities. Nevertheless, the PCB has once again listed Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Multan as the official venues of the upcoming season.
There is also a chance that there might be an exhibition match in Peshawar before the actual tournament, as there are plans to have a pre-PSL match between Peshawar Zalmi and another franchise. A similar exhibition match was played before PSL 8 in Quetta, where Quetta Gladiators played against Peshawar Zalmi at Bugti Stadium.
The KP government has been showing great interest in hosting PSL action in Peshawar. A PCB delegation also visited the city and had a meeting with provincial authorities, including the Sports Department.
The Hayatabad Cricket Stadium has been suggested as one of the possible venues to host the exhibition match. Nevertheless, the PCB is yet to provide a final nod, which depends on the evaluation of the stadium pitches and other supporting infrastructure.
To ease the process, a special committee has been established and charged with the responsibility of coming up with rules and regulations by Sunday. At the same time, the PCB has requested reports of its Infrastructure and Domestic departments to assess the venue’s preparedness.
Matiullah Khan, Secretary of Sports and Youth Affairs KP, is optimistic that negotiations with the PCB are going on in a positive way. The next steps are expected in the following weeks.
Cities like Peshawar and Quetta are yet to host their home teams in the PSL as cities like Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, and Multan have been hosting PSL matches regularly since the beginning of the tournament.
