Qatar to host Pakistan Twenty20 league in 2016

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Wednesday that it would host a Twenty20 league in Qatar starting February next year.

Najam Sethi, the former chairman of the PCB, announced the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will involve around 25 foreign players.

The PCB had previously planned a Super T20 league in 2013, but had to postpone it twice — in 2014 and 2015 –- because of a lack of sponsors and other logistics problems.

"The PSL will be held in Doha from February 4 to February 24 with a prize money of one million dollars (100 million rupees), and we are getting encouraging responses from sponsors and foreign players," said Sethi, who is now chairman of the PCB's executive committee.

"We are in talks with 40 foreign players and we expect some 25 to sign for the league and out of these, 15 will be world class players."

Four West Indians and two players each from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand, England and South Africa are amongst the targeted names.

No player from India is on the PSL target list since the Board of Control for Cricket in India does not allow its players to feature in foreign leagues, he confirmed.

Pakistan was forced to shift the league to Doha after grounds in the United Arab Emirates — where Pakistan have played all their home cricket since 2009 — were booked for Masters Champions League, a T20 tournament slated for January – February 2016 that will feature retired international players. [AFP]