The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced the launch of a women’s T20 league, with its first season set to begin in 2023 with the Pakistan Super League 8.
All 12 games will be played in Rawalpindi, and the submitted clash is to take place on March 18, 2023, a day before the Pakistan Super League final. The competition will feature four teams, each consisting of 18 players, including six international players. The final will be a standalone fixture between the top two sides after 12 league matches and a day before the PSL 8 final. PSL 8 is scheduled from 9 February to 19 March 2023.
“I am delighted to announce the women’s league,” PCB President Rameez Raja said in an official statement issued by the PCB. “This league will attract young women cricketers to the great sport and help our existing players to hone their skills further when they get a chance to share dug-outs with overseas players. To enhance the coverage and publicity of this initiative For, there will be some matches in HBL Pakistan Super League before 8 matches,” he added. “This event is aligned with our strategy to make Pakistan a strong cricket playing nation across all formats and genders. We are building an attractive brand to not only strengthen our cricket economy but also our women’s through this tournament. We are also providing career opportunities to cricketers. The more pressing events our women cricketers participate in, the more they learn,” said Mr. Raja.
Since taking over as president, Mr. Raja has advocated for a women’s T20 league, and one of his stated aims is to beat India by hosting the first women’s T20 league in Asia. The Women’s T20 Challenge has been played in India since 2018, although the country is yet to host a franchise-based women’s league like the Indian Premier League.
The dates for the inaugural season of the women’s IPL, which is also scheduled for March 2023, have not been released yet. As quoted by ESPNcricinfo, Mr Raja had informed earlier this year that the PCB planned to organize a women’s PSL between the months of January and February.
At that time there were only 12 centrally contracted women cricketers in Pakistan, but now there are 20. For the league to fill the remaining 28 local player positions, Pakistan would need to sift through their talent pool and possibly resort to competing individuals. In the National Under-19 competition in August.