2024 Pakistan Super League Explained
The 2024 Pakistan Super League (referred to as HBL PSL 9 for sponsorship reasons) was the ninth season of the Pakistan Super League. Established by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in 2015 as a franchise Twenty20 cricket league, it was played between six teams in a double round robin and page playoff system. The season took place across four cities in Pakistan from 17 February to 18 March 2024.
Lahore Qalandars, the two times defending champions, were eliminated in the group stage with last position. In the final, Islamabad United defeated Multan Sultans by 2 wickets, becoming first team to win the third title. A Sports was the official broadcaster for the season. Babar Azam and Usama Mir respectively achieved the awards for most runs and most wickets, while Shadab Khan was entitled Player of the Tournament.
Background
As the 2024 Pakistani general election and Ramadan 1445 AH were approaching, the Pakistan Cricket Board was concerned about the tournament. While they were planning to introduce two more teams into the league, they wanted to shift the tournament to the United Arab Emirates. However, the franchise owners opposed these plans citing the financial reasons.[2] [3] [4] There were proposals for the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar to host the matches but these did not succeed due to security issues.[5] On 6 February 2024, Mohsin Raza Naqvi was elected as the PCB chairman, who also took the responsibility to supervise the preparations for the tournament.[6] [7]
Squads
See main article: 2024 Pakistan Super League players draft. The squads were finalized with the draft in Lahore on 13 December 2023, six days after the franchises announced their retained players.[8] [9] A supplementary and replacement draft took place on 29 January 2024.[10] [11]
Venues
The PCB announced the venues and fixtures on 12 January 2024.[26] [27] The tournament took place across four cities; Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi.[28] [29]
Match officials
On 12 February 2024, the PCB announced the list of officials for league stage matches which included 4 members of Elite Panel of ICC Umpires.[38]
Umpires
Referees
Marketing
Title anthem
The season's logo variant was revealed on 8 December 2023 with the nomenclature as HBL PSL 9, or hashtag #HBLPSL9,[39] because HBL Pakistan has been its titular sponsor since the league's first season.[40] The title anthem "Khul Ke Khel" features Ali Zafar and Aima Baig.[41]
Trophy
The season's trophy, named Orion, was unveiled on 13 February 2024 at Polo Ground, Jilani Park, Lahore. It was made by Lahore-based Mahfooz Jewellers.[42] [43]
Broadcast and media
Since previous rights concluded after a two-year run, a public merit-based tender for the broadcast and streaming rights was opened on 9 January 2024 for the next two years. ARY Digital Network renewed the broadcast rights with a 45 percent increased bid, and Walee Technologies won the streaming rights with a 113 percent increased bid.[44] [45] While PCB revealed a list of global broadcasters on 16 February, this is the first season which PTV Sports would not broadcast due to not winning the tender.[46] [47]
Ramiz Raja returned this year among seven commentators from Pakistan, and Michael Clarke debuted among eight international commentators. Zainab Abbas and Erin Holland presented the season.[48] [49]
Cancer awareness
The breast cancer awareness day and the childhood cancer awareness day were observed on 5 and 12 March respectively, with the stadiums themed with the pink ribbon and golden ribbon respectively.[50] [51]
League stage
Format
Each team played every other team twice in a double round robin format, with the top four teams in the points table advancing to the playoffs.[52]
League progression
Fixtures
The PCB announced the fixtures on 12 January 2024.[28] [53]
Lahore and Multan
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Karachi and Rawalpindi
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Playoffs
Qualifier
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Eliminators
Eliminator 1
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Eliminator 2
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Final
See main article: 2024 Pakistan Super League final.
Awards and statistics
Most runs
Most wickets
End of season awards
The winner and the runner-up teams were awarded with crore and crore respectively. Babar Azam and Usama Mir were presented with the Hanif Mohammad and Fazal Mahmood caps respectively with a complete installation of 6kW solar system for each. While Shadab Khan received lakh for being Player of the Tournament, the other awards included lakh cash prizes.[54] [55]
Team of the tournament
The team of the tournament was announced soon afterwards, with Shadab Khan as the captain and Mohammad Rizwan as the 12th player.[56]
Controversies
Pro-Palestine remarks
Since KFC Pakistan was announced as a snack partner for the tournament on 17 February, people started criticizing the PCB in spite of allegations of genocide in the 2023 Israeli attack on Gaza, and hashtag #BoycottPSL became a social trending topic due to the original KFC's parent company Yum! Brands' affiliation with Pro-Israeli stances during the ongoing war.[57] [58] Afterwards, the spectators also complained that they were barred to carry the Pro-Palestinian banners in the stadium.[59]
Arrests of fans
In another incident, fans were arrested for chanting slogans in support of Imran Khan during the matches.[60] [61] This was notable because Imran Khan, a former cricketer, former prime minister, and a prominent political leader, was in jail at that time,[62] and referring to him was prohibited on Pakistani television and media.[63]
DRS error
Hawk-Eye, the technology used for the Decision Review System (DRS) in cricket, made a human error during the match between Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United. Inaccurate ball tracking data resulted in incorrect results, causing frustration among players and fans alike.[64]
External links
Notes and References
- News: PSL opener on February 17 to clash with ILT20 final. ESPNcricinfo. 12 January 2024. 12 January 2024. 12 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240112161758/https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/psl-opener-to-clash-with-ilt20-final-1416417. live.
- News: Saleem Khaliq. PCB finalise dates and venues for PSL 2024. 9 March 2024. Cricket Pakistan. 15 December 2024.
- News: Hosting the HBL PSL anywhere but Pakistan will be a financial disaster. 29 November 2023. 14 January 2024. Pakistan Today. 14 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240114004846/https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/11/29/hosting-the-hbl-psl-anywhere-but-pakistan-will-be-a-financial-disaster/. live.
- News: Franchise owners oppose new PSL teams, moving to UAE. 6 May 2023. 14 January 2024. The News. 14 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240114004846/https://www.thenews.com.pk/amp/1067442. live.
- News: No PSL matches for Peshawar. 31 December 2023. 14 January 2024. The News. 14 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240114004846/https://www.thenews.com.pk/amp/1143366. live.
- News: Abdul Ghaffar. Punjab CM Mohsin Naqvi elected unopposed as PCB chairman. 19 March 2024. Dawn. 6 February 2024.
- News: Alam Zeb Safi. Naqvi vows to make PSL a 'major brand'. 19 March 2024. The News International. 14 February 2024.
- News: Teams announce player retentions for PSL 9. 8 December 2023. 16 December 2023. The News. 10 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240110174553/https://www.thenews.com.pk/amp/1136127. live.
- News: 485 foreign players register for PSL 2024 draft. 6 December 2023. 16 December 2023. Business Recorder. 16 December 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231216150844/https://www.brecorder.com/news/40277110. live.
- News: HBL PSL 9 supplementary and replacement draft to take place on January 29. Shahzad Malik. 25 January 2024. 4 February 2024. A Sports.
- News: . 29 January 2024. 4 February 2024. Dunya News. ur.
- News: Rashid Khan withdraws from PSL as he continues rehab. 25 January 2024. 25 January 2024. ESPNcricinfo. Matt Roller.
- News: PSL 9: Martin Guptill joins Islamabad United as replacement. 21 February 2024. 9 March 2024. Cricket Pakistan.
- News: 18 February 2024. Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans reveal their vice-captains for PSL 9. 18 February 2024. Cricket Pakistan.
- News: Several Foreign Players Pull Out of PSL at Last Minute. 16 February 2024. 14 February 2024. ESPNcricinfo. Faiz Ahmed.
- News: Setback for Qalandars as Rashid to miss HBL PSL. 18 January 2024. 20 January 2024. The News.
- News: Shayan Obaid Alexander. Lahore Qalandars Announce Replacement for Star All-Rounder Rashid Khan. 9 March 2024. ProPakistani. 21 February 2024.
- News: Multan Sultans lose two key bowlers ahead of PSL 9. 13 February 2024. 13 February 2024. Dunya News.
- News: Faiz Ahmed. 26 February 2024. Multan Sultans Announces Replacement for Star Pacer. ProPakistani. 7 March 2024.
- News: Faiz Ahmed. 5 March 2024. Zimbabwean Bowler Joins Multan Sultans for PSL 9. 6 March 2024. ProPakistani.
- News: Setback for Zalmi as Ngidi likely to miss HBL PSL 9. 28 January 2024. 29 January 2024. The News.
- News: 10 January 2024. Spinner Sufiyan Muqeem undergoes operation on left knee. 17 February 2024. The Nation.
- News: 10 February 2024. Peshawar Zalmi announces partial replacement for Naveen-ul-Haq. 21 February 2024. Cricket Pakistan.
- News: PSL 9: Rilee Rossouw replaces Sarfaraz Ahmed as Quetta Gladiators' captain. Geo Super. 13 February 2024. 13 February 2024.
- News: Saleem Khaliq. Quetta Gladiators appoint Rilee Rossouw as captain, Shakeel named vice-captain. 13 February 2024. 13 February 2024. Cricket Pakistan.
- News: PSL 9 schedule confirmed with Lahore set to host opener. 12 January 2024. 12 January 2024. Geo Super. 12 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240112144800/https://www.geosuper.tv/latest/32118. live.
- News: Schedule for HBL PSL 9 unveiled. 12 January 2024. 12 January 2024. A Sports. 12 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240112144800/https://a-sports.tv/schedule-for-hbl-psl-9-unveiled. live.
- News: HBL PSL to start on Feb 17; Lahore gets opener, Karachi to host final. 13 January 2024. 14 January 2024. Dawn. 14 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240114004846/https://www.dawn.com/news/1805396. live.
- News: Proposed schedule for PSL 9 revealed. 5 January 2024. 10 January 2024. Cricket Pakistan. 10 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240110174553/https://cricketpakistan.com.pk/en/news/amp/proposed-schedule-for-psl-9-revealed. live.
- News: Gaddafi stadium looks its best for PSL final. 3 March 2017. 13 January 2024. Geo News. 13 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240113185117/https://www.geo.tv/amp/133152. live.
- News: Lahore Qalandars demand large-capacity stadium in Lahore. 9 March 2022. 13 January 2024. Cricket Pakistan. 13 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240113185117/https://cricketpakistan.com.pk/en/news/amp/lahore-qalandars-demand-large-capity-stadium-in-lahore. live.
- News: Multan Cricket Stadium. 13 January 2024. ESPNcricinfo. 21 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231021151539/https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricket-grounds/multan-cricket-stadium-58986. live.
- News: Cricket fans seek increase in seating capacity at Multan Stadium. 28 August 2023. 13 January 2024. The Nation. Associated Press of Pakistan. 13 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231013002624/https://www.nation.com.pk/28-Aug-2023/cricket-fans-seek-increase-in-seating-capacity-at-multan-stadium. live.
- News: PSL 2019: Impressive closing ceremony. 17 March 2019. 19 March 2019. The News. 27 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190327190013/https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/445241. live.
- News: National Stadium in Karachi to be renamed National Bank Cricket Arena. 26 October 2022. 13 January 2024. ESPNcricinfo. Umar Farooq. 8 January 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230108074141/https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/national-stadium-in-karachi-to-be-renamed-national-bank-cricket-arena-1341678. live.
- News: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. 13 January 2024. ESPNcricinfo. 13 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240113185117/https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricket-grounds/rawalpindi-cricket-stadium-59006. live.
- News: Pindi Stadium capacity shrinks. 24 February 2020. 13 January 2024. The News. 13 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240113185117/https://www.thenews.com.pk/amp/618960. live.
- News: PSL 9: Match officials announced ahead of new season. Geo Super. 12 February 2024. 12 February 2024.
- News: Pakistan Super League season nine's logo revealed. 8 December 2023. 14 January 2024. Geo Super.
- News: HBL retains PSL title sponsorship till 2025. Dawn. 19 November 2021. 30 December 2021. 30 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211230162603/https://www.dawn.com/news/1658887. live.
- News: . 14 February 2024. ARY News. 14 February 2024. ur.
- News: Muhammad Yousaf Anjum. 13 February 2024. PCB unveils PSL 9 trophy in Lahore. 13 February 2024. Cricket Pakistan.
- News: Azhar Khan. 13 February 2024. PSL 9 trophy unveiled at Polo Ground. 13 February 2024. The Nation.
- News: PSL media rights see a massive increase. 10 January 2024. 10 January 2024. Dunya News.
- News: PSL broadcasting rights sold for Rs. 6.3 billion. 10 January 2024. 10 January 2024. Cricket Pakistan.
- News: . ur. 14 February 2024. 18 February 2024. Urdu News.
- News: . ur. 14 February 2024. 18 February 2024. Urdu News. .
- News: Star-studded commentary panel announced for PSL 9. 12 February 2024. 18 February 2024. Cricket Pakistan.
- News: PSL 2024: Urooj Mumtaz invites commentary team for dinner. 19 March 2024. Geo Super. 14 March 2024.
- News: Zalmi vs Sultans: PSL 9 turns pink for breast cancer awareness day. 7 March 2024. Cricket Pakistan. 5 March 2024.
- News: PSL 9 observes Golden Ribbon Day for childhood cancer awareness. 14 March 2024. A Sports. 12 March 2024.
- News: Pakistan Super League official anthem released ahead of tournament beginning next week. 12 February 2023. 16 January 2024. Arab News.
- News: PSL Schedule 2024. 11 February 2024. Pro Pakistani.
- News: PSL 9: Full list of award winners, Player of the tournament, best batter and more. 19 March 2024. 19 March 2024. Geo Super.
- News: . 21 March 2024. Daily Jang. ur. 19 March 2024.
- News: PSL 9: Team of the tournament unveiled. 21 March 2024. 21 March 2024. ARY News.
- News: Ali Gulrez. Boycott PSL 9 Trends on Social Media Over Partnership With KFC. 24 February 2024. INCPak. 17 February 2024.
- News: . . 24 February 2024. UrduPoint. 17 February 2024. ur.
- News: Mir Shabbar Ali. Pro-Palestine banners barred at PSL games. 24 February 2024. Dawn. 21 February 2024.
- News: Punjab Police Reportedly Arrest PSL Fans in Stadium for Chanting Political Slogans. ProPakistani. 17 February 2024. Shayan Obaid Alexander. 7 March 2024.
- News: Qaidi number 804 chant slogans during PSL Amid Pak Poll rigging allegations. Manoj Gupta. News 18. 18 February 2024. 7 March 2024.
- News: Imran Khan name echoes again through Multan Stadium in PSL 9 match. 23 February 2024. The Nation. 24 February 2024.
- News: Media and Social Media Platforms in Pakistan Face Increasing Restrictions. 26 February 2024. 28 February 2024. Veengas. The Wire.
- Web site: Hawkeye apologises for 'human error' that led to incorrect decision in PSL. 23 February 2024. Wisden. 24 February 2024.
