Najam Sethi says “Exhibition match in Quetta was to put soft image of Baluchistan”

• Exhibition game between Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators.
• Expected to put a soft image on Baluchistan.
• Players from BPL asked to return home by beginning of February.

Before the eighth season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Najam Sethi, the chairman of the PCB management committee, conveyed a clear directive to the players regarding their participation in an exhibition game scheduled in Quetta.

On February 5, an exhibition game between the Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators teams is slated to take place at Bugti Stadium in Quetta. Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Umar Akmal, and their other local players will be on team purple under the leadership of Sarfaraz Ahmed.

The great all-rounder Shahid Khan Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Haris, Danish Aziz, and Saim Ayub will be on team yellow, which will be led by Babar Azam.

Players from Pakistan who are currently competing in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) have already been asked to return home by the beginning of February. The squads for the exhibition game include players from the BPL in Wahab, Iftikhar, Naseem, Haris, and Saim.

After hearing players’ concerns about returning from the BPL, Sethi sternly urged them to embrace the national interest while speaking at a local gathering.

“The decision to host an exhibition match in Quetta was to put a soft image of Baluchistan which is considered a ‘troubled province’. This match is in our national interest and we all have to make it successful,” said Sethi while adding that hosting a PSL match in Quetta couldn’t be possible.

“Franchises told me that few of their players are not willing to come back from BPL. There are 4-5 players who have requested to let them complete their BPL contract. But, I want to give a clear message, they have to come back as we want them for our national interest,

“It’s our contractual right that whenever we want our players, we can call them back any time from anywhere. This happens all around the world. I know, they want to earn money by completing their contract, but we need them to fulfill our national interest,” Sethi reiterated.

The Quetta Gladiators’ Nadeem Omar and Peshawar Zalmi’s Javed Afridi were also asked by the chairman of the management committee to provide all the assistance necessary to host a game in Quetta.

“The fans in Quetta are so excited about this match. We can’t let them down. We will celebrate this match to the fullest,” said Sethi.

“Please, we need your support. We can’t afford any hurdle,” he told franchise owners.

The exhibition game, which serves as a warm-up for the PSL 8, will take place on February 5, which is also recognised as Kashmir Day throughout the nation. The sale of tickets for the game will start on January 30. Each ticket costs PKR 20. Bolan Cricket Stadium, Bugti Stadium, Jan Mall, Mariabad (Gulzari Travels), and Airport Road are places where fans can get tickets (Almehmood Mart).

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