Rawalpindi stripped of Twenty20 tournament

Pakistan's season-opening domestic Twenty20 tournament has been shifted to Lahore after the stadium at Rawalpindi was deemed unfit to host the event. The tournament was scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi from September 16, but after the local authorities could not complete renovation on the dilapidated stadium in time the event has been shifted to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, where it will begin on September 25.

After the huge success of the Faysal Bang Super Eight T20 Cup in Faisalabad, the PCB had said they would host their next domestic Twenty20 tournament in another small city. However, with Rawalpindi unable to host the tournament, Twenty20 cricket will return to the bigger centre of Lahore, which hosted last year's edition of the tournament.

The delayed start means the players in the national side will have returned from their tour of Zimbabwe and will be available to participate for their local teams. The Twenty20 tournament will feature 14 teams as opposed to last year's 13; a team from Afghanistan will take part in the tournament for the first time, meaning the format may be shifted to two groups of seven teams.

The other teams participating are Karachi Dolphins, Karachi Zebras, Lahore Lions, Lahore Eagles, Sialkot Stallions, Islamabad Leopards, Abbotabad Falcons, Rawalpindi Rams, Multan Tigers, Quetta Bears, Faisalabad Wolves, Peshawar, Panthers and Hyderabad Hawks.