PESHAWAR: Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Peshawar Zalmi on Friday announced its plans to bring cricket back to its hometown by holding open trials at the iconic Arbab Niaz Stadium.
The announcement comes as construction work on the stadium progresses, ahead of the 10th edition of the PSL.
In a statement released on their social media platforms, the 2017 PSL champions expressed their excitement over this milestone.
“Today, officials from Peshawar Zalmi and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government visited Arbab Niaz Stadium to review ongoing work at the stadium ahead of #HBLPSLDraft,” Peshawar Zalmi posted.
“We are excited to announce that we will soon be bringing cricket home, kicking off our #HBLPSL10 campaign with open trials starting January 1 at the iconic Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar,” the statement added.
During the visit, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Syed Fakhar Jahan confirmed that construction would be completed by February 15.
He assured reporters that the venue will be ready to host PSL games, emphasizing the government’s commitment to completing the work on time.
Jahan was accompanied by notable figures including Director of Peshawar Zalmi and former Test cricketer Mohammad Akram, Director General of Sports Abdul Nasir and other key stakeholders.
The minister expressed satisfaction with the progress, reiterating that funding would not be a barrier and expressing optimism about holding PSL matches in Peshawar next year.
It is pertinent to mention that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to take the decision Pakistan Super League (PSL) Draft for Balochistan for the first time in league history.
According to the announcement, the draft will take place in Gwadar, a port city in Pakistan’s largest province, on January 11, 2025.
