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The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board Management Committee, Najam Sethi, expressed his immense gratitude towards all the stakeholders who contributed to the success of the HBL Pakistan Super League 8. In particular, Sethi highly praised the pitches used in the tournament, which provided the ideal environment for evenly contested matches. He noted that the PSL 2023 pitches supported both batting and bowling, resulting in an impressive seven centuries being scored in the tournament – a feat has never seen before.
During a press conference before the Lahore Qalandars-Multan Sultans final match, Chairman spoke and conveyed his gratitude towards all the stakeholders, including the federal and provincial governments as well as law enforcement institutions, for their constant support which made HBL PSL 8 a triumph. He praised the collective efforts of the state and their assistance to the PCB, highlighting how this tournament is now a national asset.
PSL 2023 Pitches: A Game-Changer for Batting and Bowling
“The tournament was only made successful because of the great quality of cricket.”
According to Najam Sethi, the PSL 2023 pitches proved to be a game-changer as they supported both batting and bowling and resulted in well-contested matches. Sethi praised the pitches, stating that “We produced pitches that supported batting and bowling and provided the perfect setting for evenly contested matches.”
In addition, the tournament witnessed a historic number of seven centuries being scored in a single edition, including Multan Sultans’ record-breaking score of 262, which is the highest in HBL PSL history. Furthermore, the match aggregate record was broken when Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans scored a total of 515 runs in Rawalpindi. The pitches also allowed for three five-fers and a hat-trick, with seven fast bowlers and three spinners making it to the top-10 bowlers list, all of whom were locals.
“There were three five-fers, joint most with HBL PSL 1, a hat-trick, and top-10 bowlers included seven fast bowlers (all locals) and three spinners (all local). These are just phenomenal numbers,” Sethi said
Foreign Players Grateful for Quality Cricket and Development Opportunity
Apart from praising the PSL 2023 pitches, Sethi also thanked the foreign players for their participation in the tournament. The league provides them with quality cricket and has helped in their development, with many foreign cricketers who have played here going on to graduate to the top level. It is because of this that the HBL PSL has emerged as a global brand.
Women players keen on returning to Pakistan for cricket matches
According to Najam Sethi, all the women players who participated in the women’s exhibition matches in Rawalpindi have expressed their interest in returning to play in Pakistan, which he considers a great endorsement for the country.
“All the women players who were here for the women’s exhibition matches in Rawalpindi have expressed their desire to come back and play in Pakistan, which is a great advert for our country.”
Najam Sethi lauds the efforts of the team and fans for the successful completion of HBL PSL 2023
Chairman PCB, has praised the efforts of the team involved in delivering the HBL PSL 2023, which was held across four venues. Despite facing logistical and operational challenges, the team successfully managed to flawlessly deliver the tournament with two production teams and a high-class opening ceremony in Multan.
Sethi claimed that their hard work and dedication can deliver the HBL PSL in any part of the world, thanks to their knowledge and expertise. He also credited the success of the tournament to the love and support of the fans, who turned the HBL PSL into a global brand with record ticket sales, crowd turnout, and digital and TV ratings.
Apart from these achievements, Sethi also expressed his gratitude towards the foreign players who participated in the tournament, as well as the women players who played in the exhibition matches in Rawalpindi, who expressed their desire to come back and play in Pakistan, which he sees as a great advert for the country.
He added that PSL 8 boosted the economy, created jobs, aided tourism, and generated PKR 170 crore in taxes. Set new records in digital and TV ratings, ticket sales, and crowd turnout.
Sethi Plans to Enhance Cricket Facilities in Pakistan
Apart from PSL 2023 pitches chairman plans to uplift cricket stadiums in Lahore, Karachi, Multan, Rawalpindi, Quetta, and Peshawar to make them at par with international standards. He is also in talks to build five-star hotels with the stadiums to reduce disturbances during matches.
He said: “Moving on, we will work on uplifting our stadiums in Lahore, Karachi, Multan, Rawalpindi, Quetta, and Peshawar as I feel we need to enhance the facilities to make them at par with the world. We are also in talks with the relevant authorities in Karachi and the government in Lahore to make five-star hotels with the stadiums so the people don’t have to face disturbances when the matches are held.”
