KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is considering hosting the fourth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) within the country. The decision will be made in a meeting between all franchises on June 12, the cricket board announced.
The PCB is considering hosting the full PSL4 series in Pakistan, calling it a better deal given the number of leagues taking place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) later this year.
In April, after Afghanistan announced that it would host its own super league T20 in the UAE, PCB Chairman Najam Sethi warned the UAE cricket authorities not to host any other leagues between October and March. He further threatened to move Pakistan’s home venue to Malaysia if other countries leagues were allowed to take place between these months.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), however, announced its decision to host their T20 league in the UAE in October with a T10 league following in November. The UAE also decided to host their own star-studded T20 league between December and January, showing that little heed was paid to Sethi’s warning.
One franchise official confirmed to the local daily that they will be backing PCB’s decision to host the full tournament in Pakistan.
“We don’t think there is any point in hosting the PSL in UAE now,” he said. “We are here to do business and this does not seem like a good deal because if the tournament is being organized in the UAE, with so much T20 and T10 cricket around, we will not be getting the best possible sponsorship deals due to the saturation of the market.”
The official added: “Broadcasters will also not be paying us a sufficient amount of money for the tournament and we don’t think people will want to come to the grounds for the matches as well. We genuinely believe having the next edition of PSL in Pakistan is a viable option as the country’s law and order situation has vastly improved.”
Another franchise official was of the view that hosting the PSL in Pakistan would be a hit, regardless of how many high-profile players make it to the tournament.
“Recently we’ve seen great rivalry building up between franchises, which is great news for the competition,” he said. “Once we have the PSL in Pakistan, we can attract hundreds and thousands of followers of each franchise to the ground, which means even if big name players don’t come to the country, it will not hurt the brand’s image in the long run.”
Pakistan Cricket Board considers bringing super league home
Pakistan Cricket Board considers bringing super league home
- Pakistan asked UAE not to host any other cricket leagues between October and March, warning it would shift venue if request was not heeded.
- PSL in Pakistan is a viable option as the country’s law and order situation has vastly improved.
Coach Petkovic wary as Algeria seek AFCON resurrection
- The Desert Foxes won the premier football competition in the continent a second time in 2019
- Petkovic admits Algeria are favorites to win a mini-league including Sudan, Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea
JOHANNESBURG: Coach Vladimir Petkovic says he will not make promises while trying to resurrect the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) fortunes of Algeria after two disastrous campaigns.
The Desert Foxes won the premier football competition in the continent a second time in 2019 when a second-minute Baghdad Bounedjah goal delivered a 1-0 final victory over Senegal in Cairo.
It was a team teeming with stars, led by Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez, and the belief was that they would go on to claim more honors.
But those dreams were never realized. Instead, the Foxes were eliminated after the first round of the 2022 and 2024 AFCONs in Cameroon and the Ivory Coast.
Not only did they fail to reach the knockout stages, they were humiliated, unable to win a match in either tournament.
Algeria lost to Equatorial Guinea in Cameroon and to Mauritania, a team that had not won an AFCON match, in the Ivory Coast.
Coach Djamel Belmadi, mastermind behind the 2019 triumph, was jettisoned. In his place came Bosnia & Herzegovina-born Petkovic, who had spent seven years guiding Switzerland.
Algeria have won 15 matches under his control, drawn three and lost two. Those results led Algeria to qualify not only for the 2025 AFCON, but also the 2026 World Cup.
Petkovic admits Algeria, who will play all their Group E matches in Rabat, are favorites to win a mini-league including Sudan, Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea.
“We are favorites in our group, and we must accept that responsibility. Our first goal will be to qualify for the second round, then we shall see,” he told the Algerian media.
Many pundits have listed Algeria among a short list of nations capable of going all the way in a tournament that kicks off on December 21 and reaches a climax on January 18.
But Petkovic casts aside talk of being crowned African champions a third time, saying “I never promise anything.”
- ‘Morocco favorites’ -
“What I can assure Algerians is that the team will wear the national team jersey with pride and be courageous.
“Unity is crucial. We must have the support of the entire nation. If we are divided, achieving success will be difficult.”
Mahrez, 34, now with Saudi Pro League outfit and Asian Champions League title-holders Al Ahli, echoed the cautious tone of Petkovic.
“We have to be realistic given what happened to us in the last two AFCON tournaments. We dare not fail again.
“Some observers are including us among the title favorites, but that means nothing. Morocco have to be favorites as they will be playing on home soil, backed by huge, partisan crowds.”
Unable to play at home due to a civil war that erupted in April 2023 between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, Sudan defied the odds to qualify at the expense of Ghana.
Under Ghanaian coach Kwesi Appiah, the Nile Crocodiles took four points off four-time African champions Ghana.
The 64-year-old stressed the importance of a strong mindset, telling reporters that “if you go into a match thinking about the stars in the other team, you have lost it even before the kick-off.
“At the AFCON recovery is a key factor. Players need proper rest, enough sleep, ice baths and massages. They must also limit the amount of time spent using mobile phones.”
A boost for Sudan is the return of veteran forward Mohamed Abdelrahman to a squad that defender Bakhit Khamis captains.
Burkina Faso have been runners-up once and semifinalists twice from 2013 and captain and forward Bertrand Traore will be making a sixth AFCON appearance.
Traore plays for Sunderland and another Premier League striker in the squad of coach Brama Traore is Dango Ouattara, who moved to Brentford from Bournemouth this year.
Equatorial Guinea have never failed to reach the knockout stage in four previous appearances and captain Emilio Nsue was the surprise five-goal leading scorer at the last AFCON.
