The Pakistan Super League season eight began with a glittering opening ceremony at the Multan Cricket Stadium today (Monday).
The cricket fans in Multan and all around the world saw spectacular performances by different artists and one of the major attractions were the performances of the singers, Abdullah Siddiqui, Asim Azhar, Faris Shafi and Shae Gill, of the PSL 8 anthem.
The fans were also treated to performances by the renowned music composer Sahir Ali Bagga and talented singer Aima Baig as the two added to the star-studded line-up.
Speaking at the ceremony, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Najam Sethi said that "Quetta and Peshawar will also host PSL matches in 2024".
"PSL has given several assets to Pakistan. This has become an international brand that we can be proud of. This year [several] foreign and local players are debuting," he added.
He noted that the tournament has given several stars to the national side, including Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Hasan Ali.
"Full congratulations in advance to those who will win. Let the game begin," Sethi concluded.
The tournament opener will be played between 2021 winners Multan Sultans and defending champions Lahore Qalandars; meanwhile the closing ceremony and final will be played on March 19 in Lahore, which will also host play-offs.
The winner will not only lift the Supernova Trophy but will also collect a cheque of Rs120m, while the runners-up will receive a cheque of Rs48m.
Lahore Qalandars will attempt to become the first side to win back-to-back titles; meanwhile Islamabad United will aim to become the most successful side by lifting the trophy thrice.
Rawalpindi will stage 11 fixtures, Karachi and Lahore will host nine matches each, whereas Multan will have five home games.
Afternoon matches will start at 2pm local time, meanwhile evening matches in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi will start at 7pm. Evening matches in Multan will begin at 6pm except for the tournament opener, which will commence at 8pm.