CIARAN MCCARTHY looks at the main talking points ahead of the seventh edition of the six-team tournament
After the last two editions were postponed due to Covid-19, the first as the outbreak took hold across the world and the second after the bubble was compromised, the PCB will be hoping this will be a case of third time lucky.
While so many competitions and bilateral series have run smoothly, the PSL has twice had to be split due to the virus.
Though it won't be lost on fans in the region one of the few franchise competitions to also be affected is the Indian Premier League, which was delayed in 2020 and then spread over seven months last year.
As the independent inquiry into the conditions of the bio-secure environment exposed, the PCB were not stringent enough last term and the postponement when it eventually came was inevitable.
This term organisers have put in place a stronger bubble with a sophisticated testing programme and severe punishments for any breaches. Players could even be thrown out of the tournament completely if they are found to have compromised the bubble.
The litmus test will be how players travelling from various corners of the world are successfully integrated with their teams. Transfering the tournament from Karachi to Lahore for the latter stages of the regular season and the playoffs is among the key moments, too.
Ramiz Raja has been an uncompromising leader since taking over as PCB chair and he'll be eager for the first year of his tenure not to include the third postponement in as many years.
The PSL is still attempting to find the perfect window during the opening quarter of the year. The last thing they need is for confidence in their product to be further diluted.
Mohammad Rizwan's Multan Sultans are the defending champions (Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images)
Maybe. Probably. Could be.
Is Shahid Afridi finally set to take his leave from professional cricket? He has already confirmed this will be his final PSL season, moving to his fourth different franchise in the form of Quetta Gladiators.
Given the PSL has occurred during the twilight of the 41-year-old's career, it doesn't seem particularly fair to list off his stats from his six tournament appearances. Half a century of outings - still someway off the most made by Kamran Akmal - across that period is probably the best of them.
You'd do well to take any Afridi retirement pledge with a pinch of salt. It wouldn't be the first time he's reneged on leaving a part of the game behind.
And when you're turning out in the Kashmir Premier League and Everest Premier League it is clear you still have an appetite to play. Or that, the money is still there.
It is hard to see him still featuring in those competitions once he's turned his back on Pakistan's premier tournament. Not that you'd put it past him.
If you're going to join a PSL franchise for a low-pressure farewell it would be Gladiators, who won two of their 10 matches last season and start the campaign as sixth favourites for the title.
Since winning the title in 2019 they've failed to finish outside of the bottom two.
Ian Cockbain arrives after an impressive BBL cameo (Mark Brake/Getty Images)
Coming off the back of a winning campaign last year, the Sultans will be hoping they can double up and make it two in a row.
No side has ever prevailed in successive campaigns and only Islamabad United have multiple titles - the first coming when only five sides competed.
Captain Mohammed Rizwan was one of the most influential players last time out, passing the 50 mark on four occasions, and amassing a total of 470 runs throughout the competition - second only to his Pakistan opening-partner Babar Azam.
What’s more, Rizwan has levelled up in terms of his T20 prowess over the last year, hitting a remarkable 1,326 runs in 2021 - the most by any player in a single calendar year in the format - at an average of 73.66.
Having added Tim David to their artillery and kept hold of Rilee Rossouw they'll be confident of bucking the trend and claiming titles in successive editions.
Luke Wood (Ashley Allen/Getty Images)
There is another strong cohort of Englishman across the tournament looking to alert the rest of the world to their talent.
Liam Livingstone was retained by Peshawar Zalmi for this season and is sure to be one of the most destructive players in this year's tournament.
The Lancashire man averages 29.47 in T20s and took a liking to Pakistan's bowling during the home series last summer, hitting a maiden century and smashing Haris Rauf for a huge six at Headingley.
Yorkshire's Tom Kohler-Cadmore will also play for Zalmi and is in some decent white-ball form at present.
The 27-year-old hit a mesmerising 96 from 39 balls in the recent Abu Dhabi T10 league and hopefully, we will see him continue in that devastating fashion.
James Vince will play for the Quetta Gladiators after his international commitments in the West Indies.
The Hampshire batter is in the redemption arc in his career, hitting his maiden international hundred upon his recall to the England team last July.
Given his prowess in Australia, a solid year for Vince will go a long way to securing his place in England's World Cup plans. He was an injury replacement for Jason Roy in the UAE but has not represented his country in the format since 2019.
There are some interesting stories from across the rest of the competition too. Ian Cockbain and Tom Lammonby have won late deals with Karachi Kings, Pat Brown and Matt Parkinson have deals with Zalmi and Luke Wood and Will Smeed will hope to make an impression at Gladiators.
Lahore will host the second part of the group stage and the playoffs (AFP/Getty Images)
The side hailing from Pakistan’s capital had a near-perfect group stage of the tournament, winning eight out of 10 to finish top and go within a win of the final.
But they failed to convert that dominance when it really mattered in the playoffs, falling to both Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi.
It remains to be seen if captain Shadab Khan has got to the bottom of why it went so wrong when the knock-out stage began.
Colin Munro certainly has confidence in his skipper's ability to lead. “Shadab Khan is a wonderful captain to play under,” said the New Zealander. “His understanding of the game is second to none. The way he takes care of youngsters is exemplary.”
The squad once again looks well-placed to challenge. They re-drafted Munro, brought in Marchant de Lange and Rahmanullah Gurbaz and retained Alex Hales, Hasan Ali and Asif Ali. Another title tilt looks inevitable.
Ali will particularly feel he has a point to prove in high-pressure situations, after a wayward bowling display in defeat to Zalmi in Qualifier 2 (1-43).
Worryingly, he followed that up with similar figures in the T20 World Cup semi-final against Australia, shipping 44 runs from a wicketless four overs.
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