ISLAMABAD, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistan Super League (PSL) cricket tournament season seven kicked off on Thursday evening in the country's southern port city of Karachi under strict measures amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases.
Six teams, namely Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans, Quetta Gladiators, Peshawar Zalmi, Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United, will fight for the title with the final to be played on Feb. 27, 2022, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the season with a video message telecasted during the inauguration ceremony at the National Stadium in Karachi. Khan, who also led the country's national team to win the Cricket World Cup in 1992, hoped that all the teams would perform at their best to entertain sports lovers.
The opening ceremony was followed by a match between Karachi Kings, led by Pakistan's national team skipper Babar Azam and the defending champion Multan Sultans, captained by wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan.
Under the advisory from the National Command and Operation Center, the department leading Pakistan's campaign against COVID-19, the PCB had announced to allow a limited number of spectators at the stadium under the condition to provide vaccination proof.
The PCB also enforced strict bio-secure bubbles for all the players and officials to avoid infections. ■