Quetta: The first exhibition match of the eighth edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) will take place today in Quetta, featuring Sarfaraz Ahmed’s Quetta Gladiators and Babar Azam’s Peshawar Zalmi. The game will be held at the Bugti Stadium in Quetta and has attracted over 13,000 spectators, as per PCB officials.
Strict security measures have been put in place, with a force of over 4,000 police and Frontier Corps personnel on hand to ensure safety. Distinguished cricket personalities such as Shahid Afridi, Javed Miandad, and Moin Khan have arrived in Quetta to witness the match, alongside renowned showbiz stars like Ayub Khosa and Ahad Raza Mir.
PSL 8 will commence on February 13 and culminate in a final on March 19 in Lahore. The tournament will take place in Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi, with the most matches scheduled to be held in Rawalpindi (11 games). Nine matches will be held in Karachi and Lahore, while Multan will host five games.
This year’s PSL will feature 21 new international cricketers, such as Adil Rashid and Jimmy Neesham, among others. Additionally, local players like Aamer Jamal and Saud Shakeel will make their PSL debut. Lahore Qalandars aim to secure back-to-back titles, while Islamabad United strive to win their third title since the league’s inception in 2016.
Babar Azam is the current leading run-getter of the PSL with 2,413 runs in 68 matches and will look to notch up his first century. Kamran Akmal, who will not participate this year, holds the second-highest runs with 1,972 in 75 matches, including three centuries. Other notable players who have hit a century include Sharjeel Khan, Fakhar Zaman, and Chris Lynn.
