Pakistan Super League 2016
2016 · 5 teams · T20 cricket
Tournament Overview
Series Overview
The inaugural Pakistan Super League in 2016 was the realisation of a dream long held by Pakistan cricket: a domestic franchise competition that could showcase the country's abundant talent alongside international stars. The entire tournament was played in the UAE — at Dubai International Cricket Stadium and Sharjah Cricket Stadium — due to the security situation in Pakistan that had prevented international cricket since the 2009 Lahore attack on the Sri Lanka team. Five franchises competed in the first edition, each representing a major Pakistani city: Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, and Peshawar. Islamabad United, coached by Dean Jones, emerged as the inaugural champions, defeating Quetta Gladiators by 6 wickets in the final at Dubai. The quality on show — from the Pakistanis and the international players who joined them — proved immediately that the PSL could sit alongside the best franchise competitions in the world. More importantly, every match played was a step closer to the PSL returning home to Pakistan — which it would, in the most emotional circumstances, with the 2017 final.
Key Highlights
- 1Islamabad United won the inaugural PSL title — a new era of franchise cricket in Pakistan had begun
- 2The entire tournament was held in the UAE — Dubai and Sharjah hosted all matches due to security concerns in Pakistan
- 3Five franchises competed in the first edition, representing Pakistan's major cities for the first time
- 4International stars joined Pakistan's finest players — a template for franchise cricket had arrived in the country
- 5The atmosphere, despite being played abroad, showed Pakistani fans' passionate embrace of the new competition