The 2023 edition of the Pakistan Super League will start on 13 February, the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed on Friday (20 January). His two finalists for 2022, Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans, will meet in the opening match at Multan Cricket Stadium.
The Qalandars will seek to defeat the Sultans in this final last year and become the first team to successfully defend the PSL title. The 34-game tournament will be played in Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Peshawar.
The competition will be held in two stages. Multan and Peshawar will host matches from 13-26 February before the caravan moves to Karachi and Lahore. Qualifiers, two eliminators and the final (19 March) will take place at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Adil Rashid, Matthew Wade, Wanindu Hasaranga, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jimmy Neesham, Tabraiz Shamsi and more will be participating in the tournament for the first time.
To boost the Pakistan Women’s League in the future, PCB held her three exhibition matches involving women’s cricketers on March 8, 10 and 11 in Rawalpindi. The two women’s team rosters have both local and foreign players. “HBL PSL 8 will be a massive event for PCB, taking place at four iconic venues featuring some of the world’s best T20 cricketers,” said PCB Chairman Najam Sethi. “Our goal is to make the HBL PSL bigger, better and stronger than ever, with the ambition above all to be the top choice event for T20 cricketers.
“Each of the six teams will enter HBL PSL 8 with a lot of stakes. Islamabad United will be aiming to become the most successful team by winning three titles, while Lahore Qalandars will win back-to-back titles. Aiming to be the first team to win, the remaining four teams will try again for the shiny silver, complementing an exciting, engaging and entertaining 34-game tournament.”