LAHORE: The registration window for foreign players has been opened for the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Wednesday.

The upcoming edition of Pakistan’s marquee league will tentatively run from 8 February to 24 March.

“The category renewals of the local players will be finalised and published shortly as well. Following the category renewals, the trade and retention window will be opened,” stated PCB.

“Once the trade and retention window is open, the pick order for the player draft for the upcoming season will also be shared.

“The retentions and trades are to be finalised ahead of the HBL PSL 9 Player Draft, which has been tentatively scheduled for mid-December, after the completion of the National T20. The final of the National T20 is set to be played on 10 December in Karachi.”

Notably, the PCB announced last month that the PSL 9 will feature six teams.

The chairman of the PCB Management Committee Zaka Ashraf presided over the meeting of the PSL Governing Council at the National Cricket Academy here.

The high-profile meeting saw a wide range of issues being discussed, including the number of teams for the upcoming PSL 9.

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“The upcoming ninth season will be played with six teams. No additional team will be added in the upcoming season,” stated PCB.

For the unversed, former chairman of the PCB Management Committee Najam Sethi, in March this year, expressed his strive to expand the PSL by adding two more teams in the next edition.

“If you ask me what are our plans for the next PSL, keeping it brief my strive is to add two more teams. But obviously, this decision is subject to the approval of the franchises and is impossible without doing the homework,” said Sethi.

“That is because if any franchise suffers a loss by the addition of two more franchises then it is not a good thing to do. It must be a win-win situation for everyone. So I’m doing homework on this.

“We had a brief discussion with the franchises and after the conclusion of this PSL, we will formally start consulting them the next month about the addition of teams and the model after the completion of 10 years.”

The previous edition of the PSL was won by Lahore Qalandars, who defeated Multan Sultans in the final at Gaddafi Stadium to become the first side to clinch two successive PSL titles.

Islamabad United ended the season as third, while Peshawar Zalmi was fourth in the standings. Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators finished fifth and sixth, respectively.

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