Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Peshawar Zalmi announced on Friday its plans to bring cricket back to its home city by hosting open trials at the iconic Arbab Niaz Stadium.
This announcement comes as construction work on the stadium progresses ahead of the 10th edition of the PSL.
In a statement shared on its social media platforms, the 2017 PSL champions expressed their excitement about this milestone.
“Today, officials from Peshawar Zalmi & the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government visited Arbab Niaz Stadium to review the ongoing work on the stadium ahead of #HBLPSLDraft,” Peshawar Zalmi posted.
“We’re thrilled to announce that we are bringing cricket to our home soon, kicking off our #HBLPSL10 campaign with open trials starting on 1st January at the iconic Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar,” the statement added.
During the visit, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Syed Fakhar Jahan confirmed that the construction would be completed by February 15.
He assured reporters that the venue would be ready to host PSL matches, emphasizing the government’s commitment to completing the project on time.
Jahan was accompanied by notable figures, including Peshawar Zalmi’s Director and former Test cricketer Mohammad Akram, Director General of Sports Abdul Nasir and other key stakeholders.
The minister expressed satisfaction with the progress, reiterating that funding would not be a barrier and voicing optimism about hosting PSL matches in Peshawar next year.
It is pertinent to mention that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to take the Pakistan Super League (PSL)’s draft to Balochistan for the first time in league’s history.
As per the announcement, the draft will take place in Gwadar, the port city of Pakistan’s biggest province, on January 11, 2025.