Ramiz Raja hints at women's PSL for Pakistan in the near-future

PCB chairman Ramiz Raja hinted at the possibility of organising a women's Pakistan Super League in the near-future. While he is yet to provide any firm plans around the logistics or timing of the move, Ramiz did say he wanted Pakistan to be the first country in Asia to have a women's T20 league. Alongside the proposed women's PSL, Ramiz also spoke of launching an U19 PSL.

Ramiz was speaking after ECB CEO Tom Harrison visited Pakistan earlier this week to try and repair relations following the recriminations of England pulling out of a two-match T20I series last month. The ECB agreed to tack those two games onto next year's five-match T20I series, with Ramiz revealing further plans for deeper engagement were also in the offing.

"We talked about [improving the] pathways to professional cricket. In October next year, we'll launch an U19 PSL. This is very exciting because it's never happened anywhere else. England will send their U19 players, who we'll look after. I also have the women's PSL in my mind. We'll become the first cricket board in Asia to launch that."

This is the first time a PCB chairman has publicly discussed the possibility of a women's T20 league at any level. England and Australia have had women's T20 leagues, while The Hundred earlier this summer also had a women's competition. The only women's franchise-style competition in Asia right now is the Women's T20 Challenge that the BCCI has held alongside the IPL play-offs, although it didn't take place this year.

Since taking over as PCB chairman in September, Ramiz was handed a baptism of fire when New Zealand and England withdrew from their tours, severely denting what was billed as the first complete home season Pakistan has had in over a decade. After initially raging at what he called the "Western bloc", Ramiz has tried to engage boards around the world further to ensure Pakistan hasn't been set back in terms of playing international cricket at home. The tour of the West Indies in December was officially announced last week, while Australia also confirmed their participation in their first full tour to Pakistan since 1998 next year.