Day: March 18, 2023

Lahore, March 18, 2023 (PPI-OT): Fast bowler Ihsanullah of Multan Sultans, who was picked in the Emerging Category, has been named as the Player of HBL PSL 8 by an independent panel that was headed by Mr Haroon Rashid (Chair of HBL PSL 8 Technical Committee) with respected commentators Bazid Khan, Daren Ganga, Nick Knight and Sana Mir as members. Ihsanullah is the first player from the Emerging Category to beat the more experienced and established stars in the cut-throat competition for the prestigious award. The previous seven winners of this award are: Ravi Bopara (2016, Karachi Kings), Kamran Akmal (2017, Peshawar Zalmi), Luke Ronchi (2018, Islamabad United), Shane Watson (2019, Quetta Gladiators), Babar Azam (2020, Karachi Kings), Sohaib Maqsood (2021, Multan Sultans) and Mohammad Rizwan (2022, Multan Sultans).

Ihsanullah had figures of two for 37, five for 12, three for 24, two for 19, none for 17, two for 22, two for 33, two for 35, none for 35, two for 58, one for 18 and one for 37 in 12 matches. He finished the series with 22 wickets at an economy-rate of 7.59. By virtue of these consistent performances that also earned him his maiden call-up to the Pakistan side for the Afghanistan T20Is, the lanky fast bowler was also declared the Bowler of the HBL PSL 8. Previous winners of this award are: Andre Russell (2016), Sohail Khan (2017), Faheem Ashraf (2018), Hasan Ali (2019), Shaheen Shah Afridi (2020), Shahnawaz Dahani (2021) and Shadab Khan (2022).

Multan Sultans captain Mohammad Rizwan was adjudged as the Batter of HBL PSL 8 after he won the Hanif Mohammad Cap for the highest-scorer of the tournament. Rizwan finished the competition with 550 runs at a strike-rate of 142.85 with a century and four half-centuries. Previous winners of this award are: Umar Akmal (2016), Kamran Akmal (2017 and 2018), Shane Watson (2019), Babar Azam (2020), Sohaib Maqsood (2021) and Fakhar Zaman (2022). Rizwan also scooped the Wicketkeeper of HBL PSL 8. He accounted for 14 batters (13 catches and one stump).

There was more good news for Multan Sultans when 21-year-old Abbas Afridi won the Emerging Player of the HBL PSL 8 and Kieron Pollard collected the Best Fielder of HBL PSL 8 award. Abbas finished as the leading wicket-taker with 23 wickets at an economy-rate of 9.45 with two four-fers and a hat-trick. This category was introduced in 2019 and the previous four winners are Umer Khan (2019) Haider Ali (2020), Shahnawaz Dahani (2021) and Zaman Khan (2022). Alex Wharf was named as the Umpire of HBL PSL 8, while Karachi Kings captain Imad Wasim was named as the All-Rounder of HBL PSL 8.

The gutsy left-hander scored 404 runs at a strike-rate of over 170 and also claimed nine wickets at an economy-rate of 7.93. Imad had spearheaded Kings’ campaign but received little support from his team-mates, which resulted in the 2020 champions’ failure to qualify for the playoffs. Nonetheless, his impressive performance helped him reclaim his place in the national side for the three-T20I series against Afghanistan in Sharjah.

Complete list of award winners:

HBL PSL 8 Player of the Tournament – Ihsanullah (Multan Sultans) (22 wickets, economy-rate 7.59)

Batter of HBL PSL 8 -Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans) (550 runs, 142.5 strike-rate)

Bowler of HBL PSL 8 – Ihsanullah (Multan Sultans) (22 wickets, economy-rate 7.59)

Fielder of HBL PSL 8 – Kieron Pollard (Multan Sultans) (11 catches)

Wicketkeeper of HBL PSL 8 – Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans) (14 dismissals)

Emerging player of HBL PSL 8 – Abbas Afridi (Multan Sultans) (23 wickets, economy-rate 9.45)

All-rounder of HBL PSL 8 – Imad Wasim (Karachi Kings) (404 runs and nine wickets)

Spirit of Cricket – Peshawar Zalmi

Umpire of HBL PSL 8 – Alex Wharf

For more information, contact:
Media Manager,
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-5717231-4
Fax: +92-42-5711860
Website: www.pcb.com.pk

Lahore, March 18, 2023 (PPI-OT): Mr Najam Sethi, Chair of the Pakistan Cricket Board Management Committee has expressed his gratitude towards all the stakeholders for turning HBL Pakistan Super League 8 into a massive successive. The event had commenced in Multan with a glittering ceremony on 13 February. Over 34 days, Multan staged five matches, Karachi and Lahore nine matches each and Rawalpindi 11 matches. On 8, 10 and 11 March, the PCB, alongside the HBL PSL 8 matches, also organised three Women’s League exhibition matches in Rawalpindi, which were also participated by 10 foreign players from seven countries.

The final of the 34-match tournament will be played on Saturday, 18 March, at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Addressing a news conference ahead of Lahore Qalandars-Multan Sultans final, Mr Sethi said: “I want to thank all the stakeholders, including federal, provincial governments and law enforcement institutions for their unwavering support and making the HBL PSL 8 a success. The way all the arms of the state worked together and provided their help and support to the PCB underscores how this tournament is now considered as a national asset.

“I also want to thank the foreign players for their participation in the tournament. The foreign players want to come and play in the league as it provides them quality cricket and has helped in their development. Many foreign cricketers who have played here have gone on to graduate to the top-level, because of which the HBL PSL has emerged into as a global brand. “All the women players who were here for the women exhibition matches in Rawalpindi have expressed their desire to come back and play in Pakistan, which is a great advert for our country.

“I also want to congratulate my team for the smooth delivery of the event. It is no mean task to flawlessly deliver logistical and operational support to the tournament of such a magnitude at four venues. We were managing two production teams and many a time the turnaround time was very tight, but their undying spirit and resolve made sure that we never faced any obstacles. “Despite all the logistical challenges, we were able to conduct a high-class opening ceremony in Multan. Never before has an opening ceremony being delivered of such great quality. When I took over the affairs, no preparation had been made for the opening ceremony. I personally looked into the affairs and made sure that we continue to build the brand of the HBL PSL through sheer hard work and dedication.

“It took us two months from planning till execution to deliver the HBL PSL, and I have no qualms in claiming that we can deliver the HBL PSL in any part of the world, because of the knowledge and expertise we possess. “The HBL PSL would not have been this successful without the love and support that it has received from the fans. We had turnout of 80 per cent on average and at times, it went to 95 per cent. It is their support that has turned the HBL PSL into a global brand. The new levels of interest and following has seen record ticket sales, record crowd turnout and record digital and TV ratings, which has not happened before.

“The tournament was only made successful because of the great quality of cricket. “We produced pitches that supported batting and bowling and provided perfect setting for evenly contested matches. Never before we saw as many as seven centuries being scored in an edition. Multan Sultans posted 262, the highest HBL PSL score, and the we also saw the record for the highest match aggregate in the world getting set when Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans amassed 515 runs in Rawalpindi.

“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.

“HBL PSL 8 also contributed in keeping country’s economic wheel moving as it created job opportunities and helped tourism, hotel industry, airlines and road traveling business grow. We have paid PKR70crore in taxes to the federal government, PKR50crore in sales taxes and another PKR50crore in provincial taxes and also helped businesses grow.

“Moving on, we will work on uplifting our stadia 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 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.”

For more information, contact:
Media Manager,
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-5717231-4
Fax: +92-42-5711860
Website: www.pcb.com.pk