LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is all set to become an independent company under a new chairman after getting approval from the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) governing council during a meeting at National Cricket Academy here on Tuesday. The meeting was headed by PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan and was attended by all the governing council members. “PSL will become a separate company,” Shaharyar confirmed at a press conference following the meeting. “The PCB governing council members have given approval to make PSL a separate company,” he added. Industrialist Arif Habib has been approved as one of the PSL directors. “After the development, the PSL will become independent from the PCB and will work separately. Discussions are under way to make a new secretariat and separate media department for the PSL,” he said.
Najam Sethi, the PSL chairman, last month had said that the he wanted “to keep the PSL away from the PCB politics.” Sethi had added he wanted to eliminate PCB’s politics from the league and attract more private sector participation. The first edition of the PSL which was held earlier this year in the UAE was a roaring success. The second edition will start on February 9, 2017 in Dubai. Sharjah will be the other venue to host the league games and play-off matches while the final of the showpiece event is scheduled to be held in Lahore. “The governing council has backed the idea of plans to hold the league’s final in Lahore,” Shaharyar added.