The 2017 Pakistan Super League, also known as PSL 2 or, for sponsorship reasons, HBL PSL 2017, is the second season of the Pakistan Super League, a franchise Twenty20 cricket league which was established by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in 2016. The tournament is currently being played in the United Arab Emirates and features five teams.
On 19 October 2016, at the 2017 player draft, the league chairman Najam Sethi announced that the final of the 2017 tournament might be played in Lahore, Pakistan if the security situation in the country made this possible. The PCB confirmed that it was their intention to play the final in Lahore in January 2017 with players being flown into and out of Pakistan over a short window either side of the final.[8] The board planned to replace overseas players who are unwilling to travel to Pakistan with their teams in a new draft held at the end of February for the final stage of the tournament,[8] if necessary with Pakistani players
Opening ceremony
Ali Zafar at opening ceremony
The opening ceremony of the league was held in Dubai at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, on 9 February 2017. It was hosted by actor Fahad Mustafa. Defending Champions Islamabad United marched into the stadium in traditional shalwar kameez. It featured Pakistani cultural performances; and spectacular flying drummers, followed by live performance of Jamaican pop star and singer Shaggy, then Pakistani singers Shehzad Roy and Ali Zafar performed on anthems of the league "Ballay Ballay" and "Ab Khel Jamay Ga" respectively. Over 26,000 crowd attended the colourful ceremony in the stadium. The ceremony ended with firework display.
Teams
The 2017 season of the Pakistan Super League will feature five teams nominally representing major cities in Pakistan. The possibility of adding a sixth team to the league in 2017, possibly representing Kashmir, had been discussed but was rejected by the middle of May 2016.
The teams playing in the 2017 season will be the same five franchises which played in the 2016 season:
Islamabad United
Karachi Kings
Lahore Qalandars
Peshawar Zalmi
Quetta Gladiators
