PSL 2022 set to be held in January-February window to avoid clash with IPL
The 2022 edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be contested in January-February with Pakistan set to host the entire set of fixtures. The PCB confirmed the revised schedule after consulting with all six franchises.
The revamped schedule will see the tournament commence in early January and end by the third week of February.
While the current schedule will clash with the Big Bash League (BBL), the PCB are keen to wrap up the competition before hosting Australia in a potential tour. The window after the series against Australia was also reportedly not ideal for the board as it clashes with the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Other factors such as player availability and the month of Ramzan will also play a role in the April-May window. This led to the tournament being shifted to early 2022.
Lahore and Karachi will host the 2022 PSL matches
Two venues in Lahore and Karachi have been chosen to host the fixtures in the PSL. Both grounds will host 17 matches each and the final of the competition will be held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
The PCB also faces a tricky proposition when it comes to hosting in the months of January and February. Weather comes into play during the winter months, especially in the Punjab region to the north, where Lahore is.
To overcome the issue of fog, the initial set of fixtures will be played in Karachi, where there won't be any visual difficulties despite being set in the winter months. When winter subsides in February, the tournament will shift to Lahore, where the final will also take place.
The 2020 and 2021 edition of PSL was hampered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The most recent edition of the tournament, which started in February, had to be halted midway due to the rising number of coronavirus cases in the bubble.
The remaining set of matches of the PSL, which included the playoffs, were later on conducted in the UAE instead of Pakistan.