Qatar to host Pakistan T20 league

 

The PCB has announced a five-team franchise-based Twenty20 league to be held from February 4 to 24 next year in Doha, Qatar. The teams would be from the provincial capitals - Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Islamabad - with prize money of $1 million.

The PCB had initially planned to host the league in the UAE, Pakistan's virtual home since 2009. However, when the PCB approached the Emirates Cricket Board to secure the venues during the third week of June, they learned that the organisers of the Masters Champions League - a tournament for retired international cricketers - had already booked the stadiums for the February window.

"After extensive negotiations with various stakeholders, the Pakistan Super League governing council has decided to lock Doha as its preferred location for the tournament," Najam Sethi, the PCB executive committee head, said in Lahore. "The five-team tournament will take place in February next year with a total of 24 matches scheduled to take place in the first edition. We are starting with five teams in order to build the value of our franchises and will expand the number of teams in the coming editions."