Kashmir Premier League launching ceremony held in Karachi
Kashmir Premier League launching ceremony held in Karachi
Karachi: A galaxy of national and domestic cricket stars is set to shine in the picturesque valley of Kashmir next year during the first edition of Kashmir Premier League (KPL).
KPL was formally launched in a ceremony held at Sindh Governor House in Karachi on Thursday. Governor Imran Ismail and Chairman Parliament’s Kashmir Committee Shehryar Afridi were also present.
According to officials, the first edition of KPL will be played from April 1 to April 10 in Mirpur and Muzaffarabad with Rawalpindi placed as a reserved venue.
“It will be a single league tournament in the first edition. Seven matches will be played in Mirpur while Muzaffarabad will host 11 matches including semi-finals and final,” said Arif Malik, the president of KPL.
“There will be a total of six teams, while players will be picked through a draft. Each team will have five local Kashmiri players in the squad; they’ll play with Pakistan’s international stars in the first edition and then from second edition onwards, global stars will also join the KPL,” he added.
Six participating teams in the league are named as Rawalakot Hawks, Bagh Stallions, Muzaffarabad Tigers, Mirpur Royals, Kotliu Panthers and Overseas Warriors.
Arif confirmed that the league has been approved by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The Elite Panel of Umpires and Referees of PCB will officiate the games while its anti-corruption unit will also be in place to keep integrity of the game intact.
He added that KPL will bring cricket talent of Kashmir to mainstream cricket world.
Imran Ismail on this occasion said that KPL in Azad Kashmir will give a clear message to world that there is peace on this side of Kashmir while life has become difficult for people in Indian-held Kashmir.
“This is evidence to the world, they can see how different these two parts of Kashmir are,” he said at the launch of KPL.
Shehryar Afridi stressed at the need of using sports, arts and culture to promote the Kashmir cause.
“Such a tournament will showcase to the world what Kashmir has to offer and when international stars from all over the world will come to Kashmir to play cricket, they’ll convey our message to the world,” Afridi said.
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