Pakistan Super League: Chris Gayle ready to come on board, Sethi says
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Swashbuckling West Indian batsman Chris Gayle is the latest high-profile cricketer to have agreed to be part of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), joining a host of international stars who are in talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Executive Committee chairman Najam Sethi confirmed on Tuesday.
The 35-year-old Gayle, who is a major attraction in Twenty20 leagues in India, Australia and England, is the sixth player from West Indies to have joined the ranks of potential signings after teammates Keiron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo, Dwyane Smith, Samuel Badree were revealed as the first big-name players to come aboard the PSL.
“I can confirm that Chris Gayle is now in touch with us. We had to put in a lot of hard work in trying to trace him and are pleased that he has consented to be part of the Pakistan Super League,” Sethi told DawnNews.
The left-handed dasher, who has played 222 T20s scoring, 8224 runs, was being touted as PSL's biggest target along with England's Kevin Pietersen and it now seems things are heading in the right direction as far the deals with the two players are concerned.
The PSL finally seems ready for take off after being postponed twice in 2014 and 2015.
The league has also taken on board former Pakistan captains Wasim Akram and Ramiz Raja as its ambassadors as the PCB aims to boost the profile of the T20 tournament.
The big name players who have expressed an interest so far:
West Indies
Chris Gayle
Darren Sammy
Keiron Pollard
Sunil Narine
Dwayne Bravo
Dwyane Smith
Samuel Badree
Sri Lanka
Thisara Perera
Tilakaratene Dilshan
Ajantha Mendis
Angelo Mathews
New Zealand
Grant Elliott
James Franklin
South Africa
Richard Levi
Roben Peterson
Australia
Brad Hodge
England
Tim Bresnan
Michael Carberry
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (48) Closed
Sep 15, 2015 01:02am
i am ecstatic to hear this ,as usual it would be a great pleasure to watch youGAYLE in
PSL !!
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Sep 15, 2015 01:11am
Great News . Well Done PCB
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Sep 15, 2015 01:16am
I do not see names of cricketers from India and Bangladesh. But who cares about them. Congrats PCB and good luck!
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Sep 15, 2015 01:23am
Good news.
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Sep 15, 2015 01:27am
These conditional modal auxillary words are very dangerous
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Sep 15, 2015 01:27am
I want Pakistan to also invite better players from associate nations as Pakistan unlike India has always spoken in support of associate members and cricket development in world. Likes of Kevin O'Brien, Shahpor Zardan & Porterfield will definitely make the most of this opportunity if given.
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Sep 15, 2015 01:27am
Good news.
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Sep 15, 2015 01:28am
Good news.Hope it will happen as planned/
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Sep 15, 2015 01:28am
Big mistake Mr. Gayle
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Sep 15, 2015 01:41am
Some more big name and then make it happen. It is going to be a fantastic corridor of experience for Pakistani first class players.
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Sep 15, 2015 01:49am
Should not discount Indian Players. Not sure if they are banned from playing
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Sep 15, 2015 01:52am
Well done guys. Keep it up
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Sep 15, 2015 02:01am
Everyone will come if we pay them enough as we not playing it in Pakistan. But suppose their participating in this league conflicts with their participation in Indian League how many will participate in our league as the IPL pays them many time more is the question.
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Sep 15, 2015 02:01am
Tell Mr Sethi to sort out Pak-India series myth first. Apparently he supported Big 3 in return of 6 Pak-India series.
I am not dying for Pak-India series but just mentioning it to reveal his lies.
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Sep 15, 2015 02:22am
No big name from Suth Africa, Australia and England, why when are playing it in Qatar. I understand that this could be a big news to Gayle if we were playing in Pakistan but in Qatar it is no news, every one should be easy to be bracketed.
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Sep 15, 2015 03:23am
Thanks Mr Sethi for covering the extra mile.
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Sep 15, 2015 03:38am
Yet to see big names from SA,Australia and England, also Bangladesh, India should be banned as they deserve.
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Sep 15, 2015 04:01am
are these players just showing interest or signed contracts? There is a price tag they expect and can sponsors pay ? Key is where is money coming from? If i start my own league and pay $1 million, Gayle or any big players will jump in. But do u have financial strength to pay that much money is the question here.
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Sep 15, 2015 04:13am
Most are not 'big names' --- mediocre cricket players.
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Sep 15, 2015 04:16am
Seriously doubt if Gayle will join
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Sep 15, 2015 04:36am
Now please sign up couple three players from India also! Then you have a super league
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Sep 15, 2015 04:39am
Are players from India invited to join?
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Sep 15, 2015 06:10am
What are the sources of funding and how much will go from government pocket.Also share profit projection at the end of first year.
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Sep 15, 2015 06:15am
@Akash "are these players just showing interest or signed contracts?"
They are playing out of love for Pakistan.
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Sep 15, 2015 06:34am
Players from India should also be invited. We aren't fanatics like them.
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Sep 15, 2015 06:40am
On an average these 25 players will get 1 to 2 million as per IPL standard pay so must be around 0 .50 billion USD and around 1 billion USD spent by PSL for all players .Great PSL .Total cost of running this one year would be 3 billion USD per year.
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Sep 15, 2015 07:10am
PCB should have sent an invitation to Indian players as well if they wanted to join. They shouldn't behave like BCCI and take revenge.
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Sep 15, 2015 07:13am
@Weirdity : Oh dream on...Why would Gayle play for the love of Pakistan, if he does, he would do it for the love of West Indies!
Big players are not going to move an inch unless big money is shown...Can't blame them - they have only few years in life to make money. 35 years is retiring age in Cricket but most of the other careers, that is when you start building your career.
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Sep 15, 2015 07:17am
@QSL 3 BN USD , lolz. Do you even care? :p As per PSL management, there is a salary cap of $1 million for each franchise for first season and players will be picked in draft system and highest paid player will get $0.1 million only hence making it possible for franchises to build a squad in given amount. Now i believe not many top top players will be interested as it isn't enough money compared to what they earn in IPL but for the likes of Elliot, Carberry, Levi, Perera and Dwayne Smith, it is a good package to play in a three week tournament. I am sure once they bring PSL back to Pakistan, which should happen soon, we can multiply that amount due to huge public interest and sponsorship. I have seen huge crowd in current T20 cup going on in Rawalpindi despite pathetic scheduling of event. If PSL can survive first two seasons, they should be fine for a long run.
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Sep 15, 2015 08:11am
@Vinod Unlike BCCI and the other sports bodies in India, we won't have an issue with Indians in our league, even though BCCI and IHL have been disrespectful and disloyal towards us. However, the Indian players aren't allowed by its board to play in other leagues. Any way if they are there it is good, if they aren't there it is good too. PCB please start planning and preparing for an exciting PSL!!
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Sep 15, 2015 08:32am
India will not allow him....
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Sep 15, 2015 08:42am
@QSL 3 BN USD , please check it out first, how much millions make 0.5 billion?
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Sep 15, 2015 09:20am
@QSL 3 BN USD what a calculation by one who doesn't know that .5 billion=500 million and not 50 million.....
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Sep 15, 2015 09:40am
@Suvit India BCCI has NO right to stop ANY foreign player from playing ANYWHERE in the world. Grow up!
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Sep 15, 2015 10:17am
Oh yeah, keep Pakistani youth busy 365 days in cricket so they do not think of any creative, rather destructive work.
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Sep 15, 2015 11:06am
PCB wants these player to play or they are really coming??
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Sep 15, 2015 11:11am
@Jallal, my friend you right BCCI doesn't have right to stop any player but if BCCI puts a condition in its slection criteria that if player is playing in any other leagues then he can't play IPL, what will happen than???
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Sep 15, 2015 11:12am
@Shahid Akbar, USA BCCI doesn't allow player to play for other leagues. They already make millions in IPL who would work for few thousand dollars :)
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Sep 15, 2015 12:10pm
What about Indian Player.
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Sep 15, 2015 01:12pm
@Jallal But BCCI can Expel them from IPL and no player will like it.
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Sep 15, 2015 02:04pm
PCB should try to invite Indian Players too. I think it will help PCB to take an advantage in future Pak-Ind series.
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Sep 15, 2015 02:14pm
Gayle is history now.
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Sep 15, 2015 03:25pm
@Sarah1 : I strongly disagree, Gayle is still a great player...
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Sep 15, 2015 04:01pm
Great news. Now make it happen.
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Sep 15, 2015 04:11pm
Really look forward to PSL since then only the magnitude of IPL will be known and some loud mouths will learn
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Sep 15, 2015 04:29pm
@Shahid Akbar, USA : Well Well Well, see who noticed this in the first place :D
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Sep 16, 2015 08:14am
You pay them and they will come. How will the economics work? You need to make money and franchises need to make money to keep PCL going after the first season. As far as I see it is currently a loss making proposition.
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Sep 16, 2015 10:48am
they gonna get money for playing
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