Pakistan to host entirety of PSL 2020

Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Multan have been revealed as the four venues to host all of the 34 games of the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League, the PCB announced in a statement on Wednesday (January 1).

Pakistan's premier T20 competition will, for the first time, be played entirely on home turf in a landmark decision by the board after they successfully hosted their first Test series in over a decade last month, against Sri Lanka. The fifth season of the league is set to kick off on February 20 with the final slated to be played on March 22 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Reigning champions Quetta Gladiators will go head-to-head with two-time champions Islamabad United in the tournament opener at the National Stadium in Karachi, who have been awarded another eight games, including the Qualifier. Lahore, on the other hand, gets the two Eliminators and the final as a part of their share of 14 games. Rawalpindi will get eight games while Multan has been allotted the remaining three.

"After bringing Test cricket back to Pakistan, hosting of the entire Pakistan Super League is our other major achievement," said PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani. "I never had any doubts it was Pakistan's league and should be played in front of home crowds. We had made this commitment to the people of Pakistan at the end of last year's event and I am pleased today we have announced the event schedule with four centres to share the 34 event matches between them."

The 2020 edition of PSL will see 36 foreign players in action, while a whopping 425 players from across the globe had expressed their interest overall. "This shows the confidence that players throughout the world have in playing in Pakistan," Mani noted.

"Through this event, we expect economy and tourism to get significant boost, which will have a direct impact on the overall health of the country. For the fans, this will be a long-awaited opportunity to see their cricketing heroes live in action and reinforce their love for this great game. I am expecting like last year, the entire country will get behind this tournament and by turning up in big numbers, they will once again show the world their passion for cricket.

"For the PCB itself, the schedule announcement means we will now work flat-out until the final ball is bowled to ensure we produce an event that is memorable for all stakeholders, including the players, commercial partners, fans and media.

"I want to especially thank the local governments and security agencies for their support and assistance. They have gone out of their way to facilitate the PCB in bringing PSL back to Pakistan, for which we are grateful."