- Nasima Akter
Fireworks Cause Fire on Floodlights at 2023 PSL
The 2023 Pakistan Super League (PSL) was set to start on Monday at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan. However, the league got to a rough start when the opening match got delayed by 30 minutes because the venue’s floodlights caught fire.
What Happened?
Reports say there was a mishap with the opening ceremony’s fireworks, and it led to one of the stadium’s floodlights catching fire. It was customary that the PSL opened with a spectacular show. A central part of the festivities was the fireworks, with over 100 seconds worth fired off from the roof of the stadium ahead of the game.
There were several videos and photos of the incident shared on social media. Among them were videos posted by Samaa TV reporter Qadir Khawaja.
According to sources, one of the floodlight towers got struck by a firework, and a small fire was visible from the ground. The fire brigade had immediately arrived to douse the flames, causing worrying scenes before the toss. There have been no reported cases of anyone being harmed by the incident.
Before the Fire Incident
While the fire incident placed a hamper on the league opener, the fans still got to enjoy a superb show before the Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars clash. The opening ceremony included performances from artists like Abdullah Siddiqui, Asim Azhar, Faris Shafi, and Shae Gill, of the PSL 8 anthem.
There were also performances by the renowned music composer Sahir Ali Bagga and talented singer Aima Baig as the two added to the star-studded line-up.
After the Fire Incident
Once the fire brigade cleared the stadium of the floodlight fire, the opener started with Mohammad Rizwan, Multan Sultans’ captain winning the toss and choosing to bowl first. At the end of their innings, the Lahore Qalandars had 175 for six.
The Multan Sultans did their best with openers Shan Masood and Rizwan scoring a 100-run stand. However, the middle-order failed to properly assist the skipper, and eventually, they were dismissed for 75 off 50. In the end, the Multan Sultans lost by one run.
When interviewed about their victory, Lahore skipper Shaheen Afridi said "Got off to a good start. We have many options with the ball - 8 or 9 options. Credit to Zaman for the way he finished it off. The message to the team was that one wicket would bring us back."
Following the opener match, the Multan Sultans will play against the Quetta Gladiators on Wednesday evening, while Lahore Qalandars will face the Karachi Kings on Sunday.
What to Expect with the 2023 PSL and More
For this season’s Pakistan Super League, the winner will not only lift the Supernova Trophy but also collect a cheque for PKR 120m, while the runners-up will receive a cheque for PKR 48m.
The league will be until March 19, and the next match will be on February 14 between the Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi.
During the opening ceremony, an announcement was made for the future of the PSL. According to the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Najam Sethi, "Quetta and Peshawar will also host PSL matches in 2024. PSL has given several assets to Pakistan. This has become an international brand that we can be proud of. This year [several] foreign and local players are debuting.”
