LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has joined hands with tapmad TV for streaming of the HBL Pakistan Super League-6 matches in Australia, MENA (Middle East and North Africa) regions as well as the rest of the world.

The partnership is another major breakthrough for the PCB as it increases the reach of Pakistan cricket through one of the most popular T-20 leagues, the HBL PSL. This partnership will help further extend the HBL PSL’s coverage while ensuring viewership for the league in the key cricketing markets of MENA and Australia, a PCB spokesman, said.

With this partnership, the HBL PSL TV and streaming coverage is now extended to North America, Caribbean, United Kingdom, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, NZ, MENA, Australia and rest of the world.

The partnership allows for ease of access to fans around the globe, while keeping in mind commercial sustainability of the rights for the PCB and its partner HBL PSL franchises.

It may be noted that the opening match of the HBL PSL 6 will be played between defending champions Karachi Kings and 2019 champions Quetta Gladiators at the National Stadium Karachi. The final will be played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on 22nd March. A total of 34 matches will be played in the month-long event which will be staged in Karachi and Lahore.

Moreover, the PCB announced match officials for the Pakistan Super League 2021. Aleem Dar, Michael Gough and Richard Illingworth from the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires will join seven member of the PCB Elite Panel of Umpires to share umpiring responsibilities. These seven local umpires are Ahsan Raza, Asif Yaqoob (PCB Umpire of 2020), Faisal Khan Afridi, Imran Jawed, Rashid Riaz, Shozab Raza and Zameer Haider.

Former member of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, Roshan Mahanama, along with PCB elite panelists Ali Naqvi, Iftikhar Ahmed, Muhammad Anees and Mohammad Javed Malik, will lead the playing control teams in the 34-match tournament.

The tournament opener between defending champions Karachi Kings and 2019 winners Quetta Gladiators at the National Stadium will be umpired by Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza, while Rashid Riaz will be the third umpire and Asif Yaqoob as the fourth umpire. Roshan Mahanama will be the match referee.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021