Will try to stage PSL’s second edition final in Pakistan: Najam Sethi

Chairman of lucrative league promises bigger and better second edition

Pakistan Super League (PSL) chairman Najam Sethi has promised a bigger and better second edition of the event, with a final possibly on home soil.

‘”We are buoyed by the success of HBL PSL [season] 1 and things are now getting into an exciting phase for season 2,” he said as quoted by a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) press release. “I can promise that HBL PSL 2 will be bigger and better, and we will leave no stone unturned in bringing unparalleled cricket-ainment to the fans. We will also try our best to stage the final of HBL PSL 2 in Pakistan.”

Sethi made the announcement when the owners of five franchises met the PSL management at the National Cricket Academy on Monday.

Retention and transfer windows are also open till September 14, while the players’ draft will take place in October.

“It was decided that the teams may retain up to 16 players from their existing squads,” the press release read. “All players who were brought on board by a team, regardless of whether they played, are eligible for retention. The retention window will also provide teams with a chance to renegotiate with existing players and the window closes on September 14, 2016. The transfer window is concurrently open with teams in a position to leverage their draft picks and/or existing squads to find an ideal balance.”

The picking order for the draft was decided on the basis of lowest team getting the first choice.

“The Player Draft for HBL PSL 2 is set to take place in the month of October with UAE emerging as a likely venue since leading players will be engaged in Pakistan’s home series in the UAE,” stated the press release. “The draft order will follow the principle of placing the bottom-placed team from the previous year at an advantage. Consequently, Lahore Qalandars will have the first pick in every round. Karachi Kings will have the second pick, Peshawar Zalmi third, Quetta Gladiators fourth, and Islamabad United will make the final pick in every round.”

Meanwhile, former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum and current England ODI and T20I captain Eoin Morgan forwarded their consent to be a part of the PSL players’ draft.

“Brendon McCullum and Eoin Morgan are proven international stars who not only bring a wealth of international cricket experience but also bring invaluable leadership experience to the HBL PSL player roster,” said Sethi. “While we have announced these two names, there are at least a dozen additional top-level signings that will be revealed in the coming days. It will be interesting to see how teams manage their retentions and transfers given such quality additions to the players’ draft.”