PCB’s T20 event to be launched in three phases – Cricket News Update
Owing to difficulties in attracting foreign cricketers to play in the T20 tournament being organised by the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 Cricket Board, a decision has been taken to conduct the league in three different stages, with two competitions, at club and national level
respectively, preceding the actual event.
Sources from the board revealed that they had been advised, by one of the companies interested in launching the event, to initiate the league with a club-level T20 tournament first. This event is likely to be held in Lahore, with the country’s top eight
domestic teams competing amongst each other.
The source also went on to explain that the ICC’s associate member countries – among them http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 – would be invited to permit their players to feature in the first phase as overseas
signings for the clubs.
“In the second phase the board will basically use its national T20 championship and invite better known foreign players to turn out for the regional associations,” the source said while explaining the remainder of the competition. “While in the third phase
which is not likely to be held before next year, the concept of franchises on the lines of IPL and BPL will be launched.”
The tournament marks one of the many attempts of the PCB to initiate a revival of international cricket in the country, which has witnessed a drought ever since the 2009 terrorist attacks on the visiting Sri Lankan team put an end to foreign tours in the
country, owing to security concerns. Since then, the Men In Green have been unable to host an event on home soil.
With a major source of income out of limits, and owing to the need to host matches at neutral venues such as the UAE, the board hit upon the idea of launching a T20 league, similar to the neighbouring Bangladesh Premier League, and the Indian Premier League.
The third and final phase of the tournament will include bidding for local and overseas players. Eight different companies have expressed an interest in helping the PCB organise and launch the event, among them three Pakistani event management companies,
two from the UAE, one from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/France-c2899 and UK each, and one owned by an Indo-American.
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