PSL season 4 all set to roll today

dubai — If the Opening Ceremony is anything to go by, the fourth season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) should be another cracker.

The fourth instalment of Pakistan’s very own T20 League will be set into motion at the magnificent Dubai International Cricket Stadium with a range of class acts on Thursday night and it promises to be another interesting season filled with top quality cricket.

Much after reunited Pakistani Sufi rock band Junoon take the stage along with Boney M, and other acts to follow, Islamabad United will embark on their title defence against the Lahore Qalandars.

Islamabad United, with a new captain in the wily old fox Mohammed Sami, will be eyeing a third title after winning it in the inaugural season in 2016 and last year.

But battling them will be the other franchises like two-time runners-up Quetta Gladiators, Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans and the Qalandars.

A total of 34 matches that includes the play-offs and the final will be played over the next month with the final scheduled to be held at the National Stadium in Karachi on March 17.

Off the 34 matches, 26 fixtures will be played across the three venues in the UAE — Dubai, the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium and the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

And there is a substantial increase in the matches that will be played in Pakistan in an effort to bring cricket back to the country.

Eight matches, including the play-offs and the final will be played in Pakistan, with three to be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and five in Karachi. The final of the inaugural edition was held in Lahore, while two playoffs and the final were held in Lahore and Karachi respectively.