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Kashmir Premier League (Pakistan)

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Kashmir Premier League
Official logo of the KPL
Countries
AdministratorPakistan Cricket Board
FormatT20
First edition2021
Latest edition2021
Next edition2022
Tournament formatDouble round robin and playoffs
Number of teams6
TVGeo Super
Websitekpl20.com

The Kashmir Premier League (Urdu: کشمیر پریمیئر لیگ; abbreviated KPL) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league founded in 2020.[1] The league consists of six teams: five teams representing the five cities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan.[2] One team representing overseas Kashmiris.[3] Teams play in a double round-robin format with the top four teams qualify for the playoffs and ultimately for the Final.[4]

History

In December 2020, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Special Committee on Kashmir, Shehryar Khan Afridi launched KPL. It was decided that the second edition would also feature women's KPL, which as a bonus and would provide the only opportunity for women in Kashmir to play professional cricket.[5] President of Azad Kashmir Masood Khan was appointed Chief Patron of the KPL.[6][7] Ch. Shahzad Akhtar is the CEO and Arif Malik is the founding President of KPL,[8] and former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram is founding Vice President.[9] Shahid Afridi is the Brand Ambassador of the league.[10][11]

The KPL is accredited by the Pakistan Cricket Board, a permanent member of the International Cricket Council, the Government of Azad Jammu & Kashmir and the Government of Punjab, Pakistan. The league was initially scheduled to start in May 2021. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board moved the time window for its start to August 2021, as the 2021 Pakistan Super League was not completed yet.[12] On 14th June 2021, KPL announced its diamond category.[13] On 2 August 2021, the match fixtures for the inaugural season of KPL was released.[14][15] On 3 August 2021, former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was announced as the Peace Ambassador of the league.[16]

Anthem Song

The Kashmir Premier League (KPL) official Anthem Song was released on the 16th of February 2021 on YouTube.[17] It was directed by Shaan Shahid and sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Many Pakistani film celebrities, such as Juggun Kazim, Mehwish Hayat, Iman Ali, Ali Gul Pir, Neelam Muneer, and Ayesha Omar, are brand ambassadors of the Kashmir Premier League.[18] KPL has partnered with Shahid Afridi Foundation as a charity organization.[19][20][21]

Teams

Each team will have five local Kashmiri players. They will play with Pakistan's international stars in the first edition. From the second edition onward, global stars will also join the KPL.[22] According to a KPL Official website,[23] the following are teams of the Kashmir Premier League:

Team Owner Place Founded Captain Coach
Overseas Warriors Kashmiri diaspora 2020 Imad Wasim Mushtaq Ahmed
Muzaffarabad Tigers Muzaffarabad 2020 Mohammad Hafeez Mohtashim Rasheed
Rawalakot Hawks Rawalakot 2020 Shahid Afridi Arshad Khan
Bagh Stallions Bagh, Azad Kashmir 2020 Shadab Khan Abdul Rehman
Mirpur Royals Suleman Raza[24] Mirpur, Pakistan 2020 Shoaib Malik Inzamam-ul-haq
Kotli Lions Kotli 2020 Kamran Akmal Abdul Razzaq

Venues

All matches will be played in Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium.[25] Around 2500 spectators are allowed to watch the match in stadium in the inaugural edition of Kashmir Premier League due to COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan.[26]

Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium
Capacity: 10,000

Broadcasting

Geo Super will broadcast the inaugural season of KPL.[27]

Controversies

The KPL made headlines even before it had begun. Despite there being no cricket between Pakistan and India, the KPL made New Delhi upset due to the disputed nature of Kashmir region between India and Pakistan. On 31 July 2021, it was reported that foreign cricketers were requested by the Indian cricket board (BCCI) against taking part in the inaugural Kashmir Premier League (KPL) cricket tournament.[28][29] Former Pakistan's wicket keeper Rashid Latif tweeted that BCCI is warning other cricket boards that if their former players took part in Kashmir Premier League, they won’t be allowed entry in India or allowed to work in Indian cricket at any level or in any capacity. Former South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs, who plans to play for the Overseas Warriors, also accused BCCI of pressuring him to not play in the KPL.[30][31] The Pakistan cricket board (PCB) expressed displeasure at the reports that BCCI is trying to prevent players from joining the tournament and said that it would raise the issue with the relevant ICC forum.[32][33] Responding to Gibbs and the PCB, the BCCI said that they are well within their rights to take decisions with respect to the cricketing ecosystem in India.[34][35]

On 2nd August 2021, former England spinner Monty Panesar said that "BCCI had 'advised' him that if he played in the event, the 'consequences' of his decision could include not being granted a visa to India in the future and not being allowed to work in the country."[36]

On 1 August 2021, former England spinner Monty Panesar pulled out of the tournament. He took to Twitter to reveal the news and said that, "I have decided not to participate in the KPL because of the political tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir issues. I don't want to be in the middle of this, it would make me feel uncomfortable."[37][38][39][40]

On 2 August 2021, the BCCI urged ICC not to recognise the Kashmir Premier League due to the disputed nature of Kashmir region between India and Pakistan.[41] In response, the ICC clarified that the tournament doesn't come under their jurisdiction as it is not an international tournament.[42]

References

  1. ^ "Kashmir Premier League all set to kick off from August 6".
  2. ^ "PCB vs BCCI over Kashmir Premier League".
  3. ^ "Kashmir Premier League Announced: International Stars Picked Up By Franchises". www.news18.com. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Kashmir Premier League 2021 Fixtures".
  5. ^ "Afridi launches KPL as AJK".
  6. ^ "KPL to put Kashmir on global map, says Shehryar Afridi".
  7. ^ "Kashmir Premier League launched with AJK President as chief patron".
  8. ^ "President of KPL".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ "Wasim Akram joins Kashmir Premier League".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ "Kashmir Premier League launched in Islamabad". Dunya News. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  11. ^ "Shahid Afridi wants to set up cricket academy in Kashmir". The Nation. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  12. ^ "PCB allots new time window for holding KPL". www.thenews.com.pk.
  13. ^ "Kashmir Premier League To Announce Diamond Category Of Players Today". UrduPoint. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Kashmir Premier League 2021: Schedule, time, venue and all details inside".
  15. ^ "match fixtures".
  16. ^ "Shoaib Akhtar says he is joining KPL as a 'peace ambassador'". www.geosuper.tv. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  17. ^ "The Aazadi Anthem | Kashmir Premier League | KPL21".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ "brand ambassadors".
  19. ^ "charity partner".
  20. ^ "Kashmir Premier League Joins Hands with Shahid Afridi Foundation". Daily Times. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  21. ^ "SAF, KPL join hands to carry out welfare work". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  22. ^ "Kashmir Premier League launching ceremony held in Karachi".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ^ "KPL Teams".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  24. ^ "Suleman Raza buys Mirpur Royals to promote Mirpur globally".
  25. ^ "draft on april 2".
  26. ^ "KPL 2021: Organisers set up bio-secure bubble for players, staff members".
  27. ^ "Geo Super to broadcast Kashmir Premier League".
  28. ^ Ghani, Faras. "India 'threatening cricketers' signed up for Kashmir tournament". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  29. ^ "Rashid Latif, Herschelle Gibbs slam BCCI for allegedly warning cricket boards against participation in the Kashmir Premier League". www.news18.com. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  30. ^ "Herschelle Gibbs accuses BCCI of pressuring him to not play in Kashmir Premier League". Hindustan Times. 31 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  31. ^ "Gibbs accuses BCCI of pressuring him to not play in Kashmir".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  32. ^ Dawn.com (31 July 2021). "PCB to move ICC against Indian cricket board for pressuring cricketers against playing in Kashmir Premier League". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  33. ^ "PCB vs BCCI over Kashmir Premier League". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  34. ^ Bureau, ABP News (2 August 2021). "Kashmir Premier League: After PCB, Shahid Afridi Makes Serious Allegations Against BCCI". news.abplive.com. Retrieved 3 August 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  35. ^ Dawn.com (1 August 2021). "'Well within our rights': BCCI on allegation that it's threatening Kashmir league participants". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  36. ^ Ghaffar, Abdul (3 August 2021). "Not our jurisdiction: ICC on BCCI's attempt to have Kashmir Premier League unrecognised". Dawn (Newspaper). Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  37. ^ "https://twitter.com/montypanesar/status/1421901772252237828". Twitter. Retrieved 3 August 2021. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  38. ^ "England's Monty Panesar excuses from participating in KPL due to BCCI threat". Dunya News. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  39. ^ "Yahoo Cricket". cricket.yahoo.net. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  40. ^ "Monty Panesar Pulls Out From KPL, 'I Would Have Lost a Huge Opportunity in India'". www.news18.com. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  41. ^ "BCCI urges ICC to not recognise Kashmir Premier League". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  42. ^ "ICC sets aside BCCI plea, says it has 'no jurisdiction' over KPL". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
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