PSL 8 Opening Ceremony kicks off in Multan
The opening ceremony of the eighth edition of the highly anticipated Pakistani Super League (PSL) kicked off at Multan Cricket Stadium on Monday.
The ceremony, which started half an hour late, began with singer Aima Baig – wearing an ethereal white dress – performing the national anthem.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Najam Sethi, who heads a panel governing the affairs of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) until a chairman is elected, presented a large replica of the PSL8 trophy.
“Next year we will go to Quetta and Peshawar,” he said, adding that the PSL had given many assets to the country and had become a source of happiness for the nation.
Sethi asked a packed crowd who they would support in tonight’s opener.
Sahir Ali Bagga and Baig then took the stage for their singing performance.
They were followed by Asim Azhar, Faris Shafi and Shae Gill who performed the official PSL 8 anthem.
Immediately after the end of the ceremony, the first match of the tournament should be played between the Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars.
Led by Pakistani wicketkeeper star hitter Mohammad Rizwan, Multan has a core batting of Australian Tim David, South African Rilee Rossouw, fellow countryman David Miller and West Indies veteran Kieran Pollard .
In its eighth season, the HBL Pakistan Super League is expected to perform at its maximum potential. For the first time since its inaugural edition in 2016, the nation’s flagship franchise T20 tournament will be held at four home venues.
The last time that was to be the case was in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic halted the season before it ended later that year behind closed doors.
The previous edition of the PSL was also held in Pakistan in its entirety, but all matches were held in Karachi and Lahore only. This year, in addition to the two metropolises, Multan and Rawalpindi will also be in the fray, which would mean that four of the six teams of Multan Sultans, Lahore Qalandars, Karachi Kings and Islamabad United will have home advantage. Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators, meanwhile, will have to do without the support of home fans.