Fans of Quetta have been waiting for long to watch high-profile cricket in their backyard, Sethi says.
After seven years, Bugti Stadium in Quetta picked as fifth venue for PSL 8. Matches of the eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will also take place in Quetta, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Najam Sethi announced on Friday.
“I am delighted that seven years after launching the Pakistan Super League, I am today announcing our commitment to add Bugti Stadium in Quetta as the fifth venue for our marquee event,” Sethi was quoted as saying in a press release by the PCB.
The announcement came after the first meeting of the management committee held today.
The former PCB chief said that Bugti Stadium is the home ground of Quetta Gladiators and “we still remember the incredible scenes when the Gladiators visited the city after winning the 2019 tournament”.
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“The passionate cricket fans of Quetta have been waiting for long to watch high-profile cricket in their backyard and I am pleased that we will now bring PSL matches to their doors. In this relation, I have already spoken with influential officials in the Balochistan province, who have assured me of their complete support from event delivery perspectives,” he added.
The eighth edition of PSL is scheduled to be held from February 13 to March 19, 2023.
“The committee agreed that PCB will work closely with the local administration for the upgradation and renovation of the Bugti Stadium, while separate discussions will take place between PCB security experts and local authorities to ensure the safety and security of all the participants, officials and spectators,” the statement read.
The committee also discussed Peshawar as a potential venue to stage PSL and international matches and agreed that subject to there being no restrictions imposed by the provincial and federal governments and the stadia boasting international standard facilities for cricket, broadcast, spectators and media, matches will be held in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa capital.
Ramiz Raja sacked
It must be noted that Pakistan cricket chief Ramiz Raja was sacked just days after the national team suffered a humiliating first-ever 3-0 home series whitewash at the hands of England, according to a government notice.
But a change had been on the cards since April, when Imran Khan — a former national captain — was ousted as prime minister and replaced by Shehbaz Sharif.
Raja, a member of Khan´s 1992 World Cup-winning side, was appointed chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in September last year.
A government notice seen by AFP said Sharif´s cabinet had dismissed Raja, and the PCB would now be run by a 14-member committee headed by Najam Sethi, who has twice served as chairman.
The committee also includes legendary all-rounder Shahid Afridi, who is a former captain of the men´s team.
The government notice also said the current constitution of the board has been scrapped, and one dating from 2014 revived.
The committee will have 120 days to change the constitution and elect a new chairman.
Khan came under fire for changing the PCB´s constitution in 2019 — in particular for abolishing the role of government departments and private entities in first-class cricket, leaving hundreds unemployed.
However, in his tweet, Sethi said “thousands of cricketers will be employed again”.
“The famine in cricket will come to an end,” he added.
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