LAHORE   -  The ninth iteration of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) is set to commence on Saturday, featuring a thrilling opener be­tween the Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium. Both teams, each holding two championship titles, are eager to kick off the season with a victory. 

The competition commences at 8pm PKT, marking the start of a series of matches that prom­ise to captivate cricket fans na­tionwide. An afternoon match is also scheduled for 2pm, with evening games starting at 7pm throughout the season, and 9pm during Ramadan to accommo­date the fasting schedule. 

For the first time, the Gaddafi Stadium, home to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), will dazzle fans with an opening ceremony scheduled for 6:30pm. The event will feature performances by celebrated artists including Arif Lohar, Natasha Baig, and pop group Noori, along with Ali Zafar and Aima Baig, the voices behind the HBL PSL 9 anthem. Spec­tators will also be treated to a spectacular display of fireworks and a mesmerizing laser show. 

This season, 34 matches will be hosted across four cities: Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi. Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium is set to host nine matches, including five home games for the Lahore Qa­landars. Multan Cricket Stadium will see the Multan Sultans play­ing all five of their home matches. The league will commence in La­hore and Multan from February 17 to 27, before moving to Kara­chi and Rawalpindi. 

Shan Masood, leading Karachi Kings, emphasized the rebuilding process and the focus on nurtur­ing young talent. “To represent and lead my hometown team Karachi in the HBL PSL is such a huge hon­our. It is a rebuilding process for Karachi Kings, where we are look­ing to build a core group of young players who can serve the fran­chise for the next five years. We have a great chance to do well giv­en the last part of the tournament is set to take place in Karachi.” 

Multan Sultans’ Mohammad Rizwan praised the league’s quality and the team’s consis­tent performance. “HBL PSL is a world-class league and we are all proud to be a part of this league. Multan’s pacers and emerging players have domi­nated the previous two seasons and that is one of the reasons of Sultans doing well consis­tently. This season we have got a strong squad as well and will look to maintain the standards. “Multan crowds have given us a lot of love over the last two seasons and hopefully, they will again support us with the same enthusiasm this year.” 

Peshawar Zalmi’s Babar Azam shared his teams’ readiness and high expectations for the sea­son. “Peshawar Zalmi has been one of the most exciting sides in HBL PSL history and with our current squad we are well poised to emerge as champions in this season. Some of the play­ers are highly talented and gift­ed in our bowling and batting departments which gives Zalmi an edge over other teams.” 

Quetta Gladiators’ Rilee Ros­souw expressed his commit­ment to claim title this year. “The opportunity to lead a side in HBL PSL doesn’t come around often and it is such an honour for me. My expectation this season is to obviously win the HBL PSL 9. As a side, we will try to make it a high-performance arena. I think conditions in Karachi and Lahore will suit Quetta Gladia­tors and that is where we will look to bag the most points.”