UAE to host 26 PSL matches next year

dubai — The countdown to the start of the 2019 Pakistan Super League began on Friday as the Pakistan Cricket Board announced the schedule for the event, which will kick-off with the tournament opener in Dubai on February 14 and culminate with the final in Karachi on March 17, a press release said.

Thirty-four matches will be played in the fourth edition and for the first time in the short history of this highly successful tournament, Lahore and Karachi will share eight matches between them at the backend of the 32day event.

Karachi’s National Stadium will host the first of their five matches on March 7 when Karachi Kings will take on Peshawar Zalmi under lights. The other four matches will be: Karachi Kings versus Quetta Gladiators on March 10, Qualifier 1 versus Qualifier 2 on March 13, Eliminator 2 on March 15 and the final on March 17.

The iconic Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will host three matches — Lahore Qalandars versus Islamabad United on March 9, Lahore Qalandars versus the 6th team on March 10 and Eliminator 1 (3 v 4) on March 12.

All three matches will be played under floodlights.

In addition to the Gaddafi Stadium and National Stadium, 14 matches will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, four matches will be held at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi and eight matches will be staged at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah.

According to the event format, each side will play the other twice with the top four teams advancing to the play-offs.

South Africa’s AB de Villiers and Brendan Taylor of Zimbabwe, who will wear Lahore Qalandars’ colours, and Steve Smith of Australia, who will represent the sixth team, are three of the 19 players expected to make their PSL debuts in 2019.