ISLAMABAD, Oct 25 (APP): Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) is gearing up to launch Pakistan Squash Professional League (PSPL) early next year, which will also involve foreign players, a top PSF official said on Tuesday.
“It will be a first-of-its-kind franchise-based squash league in the world. The inaugural edition will feature six teams with each one of them having two to three top-notch foreign players and as many Pakistan players,” Secretary PSF, Group Captain Zafaryab Iqbal told APP on Tuesday.
“Currently, we are working on the modalities of the league and hopefully soon we will be able to give it a final shape.
We are also looking for a window as we don’t want the PSPL to clash with the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which will also take place in the first quarter of 2023. We will launch our league either immediately before or after the PSL,” he added.
The eighth edition of PSL, the franchise-based cricket league is scheduled to be staged from February 9 to March 19.
According to Zafaryab, the PSPL will help in the development and growth of Pakistan players. “The PSPL will offer a unique opportunity to our young players to rub shoulders with the world’s best players, giving them much-needed exposure.
We believe it will also pave the way for the country to regain its lost status in squash,” he said.
The federation has also yet to decide about the venues of the league matches as the PSF secretary said the event could kick-start either from Karachi or Islamabad.
However, he said the federation was considering holding the semifinals and final at Mazar-e-Quaid Karachi and Minar-e-Pakistan, Lahore. “Holding these fixtures at the open places of these most popular sites will catch public attention, ultimately paving the way to once again popularize squash in the country.”
He said the league would also offer a unique opportunity to the corporate sector to team up with the federation and help it increase the sport’s popularity with a young audience. A successful conduct of the league will prove fruitful for the country. We can find and give chances to the fresh talent, who can excel at the world level.”
Zafaryab said the federation was trying to promote squash from the grassroots level to regain the glory and rebuild the country’s supremacy in the game internationally.
“Camps are being organized at the school and college level to attract youngsters. The budding players are also being trained at our academies in Karachi, Abbottabad, Peshawar and Rawalpindi,” he added.
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