Kashmir Premier League (Pakistan)

The Kashmir Premier League (Urdu: کشمیر پریمیئر لیگ; abbreviated KPL) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league founded in 2021.[3][4][5] The league consists of six franchises; five teams representing the five major cities in Azad Kashmir, while one team is representing the overseas Kashmiris.[6][7] The teams play in a single round-robin tournament with the top four teams qualify for the playoffs and ultimately for the final.[8] In August 2021, it was announced that matches in the Kashmir Premier League do not have official T20 status.[9]

Kashmir Premier League
Official logo of the KPL
CountriesAzad Kashmir
AdministratorPakistan Cricket Board
Format20-over
First edition2021
Latest edition2021
Next edition2022
Tournament formatSingle round-robin and playoffs
Number of teams8
Current championRawalakot Hawks (1st title)
Most successfulRawalakot Hawks (1 title)
Most runsSharjeel Khan (296)[1]
Most wicketsSalman Irshad (16)[2]
TVList of Broadcasters
Websitekpl20.com

History

In December 2020, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Special Committee on Kashmir, Shehryar Khan Afridi launched the Kashmir Premier League in Azad Kashmir.[4][5] The President of Azad Kashmir, Masood Khan, was appointed as the Chief Patron of the Kashmir Premier League.[10][11] Ch. Shahzad Akhtar is the CEO and Arif Malik is the founding President of the Kashmir Premier League,[12] and former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram is the founding Vice President.[13] Shahid Afridi is the Brand Ambassador of the KPL.[5][14] While, Shoaib Akhtar is the peace ambassador of the league.[15] On 16 February 2021, the official anthem of the league was released.[16] 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.[17] KPL has partnered with Shahid Afridi Foundation as a charity organization.[18][19][20]

Kashmir Premier League is accredited by the Pakistan Cricket Board, 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.[21] On 14 June 2021, diamond category of the Kashmir Premier League was announced.[22] On 2 August 2021, match fixtures for the inaugural season of the KPL were announced.[23][24] On 3 August 2021, former Pakistani cricketer, Shoaib Akhtar, was announced as the Peace Ambassador of the Kashmir Premier League.[25] On 6 August, the opening ceremony of the league was held, with 25% spectators allowed in the stadium.[5][26]

Teams

There are six teams in the KPL.[6][8][7] According to the league's official website,[7] the following teams compete in the KPL:

Cities represented by KPL teams
Team Owner Place Founded Captain Coach
Bagh Stallions Hameed Khan Bagh 2021 Shan Masood Abdul Rehman
GB Markhors Jahanzeb Alam Gilgit-Baltistan 2022 TBA TBA
Jammu Janbaz Kingdom Valley Jammu 2022 TBA TBA
Kotli Lions Khalid Zia and Nasir Yousuf Kotli 2021 Kamran Akmal Abdul Razzaq
Mirpur Royals Suleman Raza[27] Mirpur 2021 Shoaib Malik Inzamam-ul-Haq
Muzaffarabad Tigers Arshad Khan Tanoli[28] Muzaffarabad 2021 Mohammad Hafeez Mohtashim Rasheed
Overseas Warriors Kamran Ilyas Raja Kashmiri diaspora 2021 Imad Wasim Mushtaq Ahmed
Rawalakot Hawks Jan Wali Shaheen Rawalakot 2021 Shahid Afridi Arshad Khan

Seasons

First season (2021)
Main article: 2021 Kashmir Premier League

The first edition of the league was held from the 6th to 17 August 2021[29] at the Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium.[30][31] Herschelle Gibbs was the only foreign player to arrive for the league, but didn't play a single match for his team, the Overseas Warriors, in the first season.[32][33] Daryll Cullinan and Morné van Wyk are two foreign commentators in the first edition of the league. SR Group is the official title sponsor of the KPL 2021.[34] The Rawalakot Hawks were the champions of first season, defeating the Muzaffarabad Tigers in the final.[35] On 18 August 2021, it was announced that the second season of KPL will feature a seventh team- Jammu Janbaz.[36][37]

Results

Season results

2021 Season - Rawalakot Hawks are the champions of first edition of the league beating Muzaffarabad Tigers. The winning team receives prize money of ₨10 million (US$62,000) while the runners-up team received ₨5 million (US$31,000).

Season No. of teams Final Venue Player of the series
Winner Winning margin Runner-up
2021
Details		 6 Rawalakot Hawks
169/7 (20 overs)		 7 runs
Scorecard		 Muzaffarabad Tigers
162/9 (20 overs)		 Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium Hussain Talat (Rawalakot Hawks)

Team results
Season
(No. of teams)		 2021
(6)
Hosts(s)
Teams
Bagh Stallions 5th
GB Markhors Team did not exist
Jammu Janbaz Team did not exist
Kotli Lions 6th
Mirpur Royals 3rd
Muzaffarabad Tigers R (2nd)
Overseas Warriors 4th
Rawalakot Hawks W (1st)
Notes
  • W = Winner;
  • R = Runner-up;
  • (x) = End of league games table position;

Broadcasting

For the inaugural season, "Blitz Advertising" and "TransGroup" were awarded broadcasting and production rights respectively.[38][39]

Country Channel(s)
 Pakistan PTV Sports[39]
Geo Super[40]
 Bangladesh Sony Sports Network[41]
 India
 South Africa SuperSport[41]
 Zimbabwe
 Afghanistan Lemar TV[41]
 Australia Tapmad TV[41]
Caribbean Flow Sports[41]
 New Zealand Sky Sport[41]
 United Arab Emirates eLife TV[41]
 United Kingdom Sky Sports[41]
Geo News UK[42]
 United States Willow TV[41]

Controversies

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 cricket tournament.[43][44] Former Pakistani 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 played for the Overseas Warriors, also accused BCCI of pressuring him to not play in the KPL.[45] 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.[46][47] 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.[48][49]

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."[50][51] Panesar further said in an interview 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."[52][53]

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.[54] In response, the ICC clarified that the tournament doesn't come under their jurisdiction as it is not an international tournament.[55] The 2021 KPL received 15 million views within the first 5 matches and broke the record for Pakistan’s most viewed live sports event launch on digital media. The president of the KPL, Arif Malik, said that the BCCI’s efforts to stop the league only popularised it instead.[56][57]

See also

References
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  2. "Most wickets in KPL". ESPNcricinfo.
  3. "Kashmir Premier League all set to kick off from August 6". 7 July 2021.
  4. "Afridi launches KPL in AJK".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. "Kashmir Premier League launched in Islamabad". Dunya News. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  6. "Teams formation in KPL".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. "KPL Teams". 22 October 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. "Formats in KPL".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. "'KPL matches are not official T20s,' says PCB official". BOL News. 9 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  10. "KPL to put Kashmir on global map, says Shehryar Afridi".
  11. "Kashmir Premier League launched with AJK President as chief patron". 12 December 2020.
  12. "President of KPL".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. "Wasim Akram joins Kashmir Premier League". 17 February 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. "Shahid Afridi wants to set up cricket academy in Kashmir". The Nation. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  15. "Wish I could drive to Srinagar and deliver message of peace: Shoaib Akhtar". 6 August 2021.
  16. "Kashmir Premier League releases its official anthem". Cutacut. 18 February 2021.
  17. "brand ambassadors". 18 February 2021.
  18. "charity partner". 29 December 2020.
  19. "Kashmir Premier League Joins Hands with Shahid Afridi Foundation". Daily Times. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  20. "SAF, KPL join hands to carry out welfare work". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  21. "PCB allots new time window for holding KPL". www.thenews.com.pk.
  22. "Kashmir Premier League To Announce Diamond Category Of Players Today". UrduPoint. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  23. "Kashmir Premier League 2021: Schedule, time, venue and all details inside".
  24. "match fixtures".
  25. "Shoaib Akhtar says he is joining KPL as a 'peace ambassador'". www.geosuper.tv. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  26. "Geo Super to broadcast Kashmir Premier League".
  27. "Suleman Raza buys Mirpur Royals to promote Mirpur globally". 5 August 2021.
  28. "Muzaffarabad Tigers - Kashmir Premier League(KPL) - Tigers Squad". 30 October 2015.
  29. "Netizens celebrate Shahid Afridi as the KPL 2021 kicks off in Muzaffarabad". 7 August 2021.
  30. "Kashmir Premier League 2021 Fixtures".
  31. "Kashmir Premier League Player Draft to be held on July 3". 15 June 2021.
  32. "BCCI boosts Kashmir Premier League popularity, held in PoK. Viewership data floods Twitter". 18 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  33. "Herschelle Gibbs to play in the KPL season 1".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  34. "SR Group to sponsor the KPL".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  35. "Kashmir Premier League champions". 18 August 2021.
  36. "Seventh team added to next KPL after Hawks win first edition". 19 August 2021.
  37. "Jammu Janbaz will be 7th team in next KPL season: Arif Malik". 18 August 2021.
  38. "The Cutting Edge Group Awards Global Broadcast Media And Live Stream Partner Rights For Kashmir Premier League To Blitz Advertising". UrduPoint. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
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  40. "Kashmir Premier League: Live from Geo Super". The News International (newspaper). 6 August 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  41. "Where to Watch Kashmir Premier League (Pakistan) 2021?". Sports Unfold. 14 August 2021.
  42. "Geo News UK to broadcast Kashmir Premier League in August". BizAsia (Zee TV). 25 July 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  43. "India 'threatening cricketers' signed up for Kashmir tournament". Al Jazeera. 31 July 2021.
  44. "Rashid Latif, Herschelle Gibbs slam BCCI for allegedly warning cricket boards against participation in the Kashmir Premier League". CNN-News18. 1 August 2021.
  45. "Herschelle Gibbs accuses BCCI of pressuring him to not play in Kashmir Premier League". Hindustan Times. 1 August 2021.
  46. "PCB to move ICC against Indian cricket board for pressuring cricketers against playing in Kashmir Premier League". Dawn (newspaper). 31 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
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  48. "Kashmir Premier League: After PCB, Shahid Afridi Makes Serious Allegations Against BCCI". ABP News. 2 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  49. "'Well within our rights': BCCI on allegation that it's threatening Kashmir league participants". Dawn (newspaper). 1 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  50. "England's Monty Panesar excuses from participating in KPL due to BCCI threat". Dunya News. 2 August 2021.
  51. "Monty Panesar Pulls Out From KPL, 'I Would Have Lost a Huge Opportunity in India'". CNN-News18. 2 August 2021.
  52. Ghaffar (3 August 2021). "Not our jurisdiction: ICC on BCCI's attempt to have Kashmir Premier League unrecognised". Dawn (Newspaper). Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  53. "India threatened me through ECB against joining KPL 2021, Monty Panesar says". Geo News. 6 August 2021.
  54. "BCCI urges ICC to not recognise Kashmir Premier League". ESPNcricinfo. 1 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
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  57. "BCCI's threats ended up giving KPL a boost, says Arif Malik". The News International. 3 August 2021.
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