Shoaib Akhtar asks for new PSL franchise named ‘Pindi Express’

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has asked for the introduction of a new Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise called ‘Pindi Express.’

During his appearance on a private TV channel, the former pacer lobbied for his hometown to get its own representation in the top league.

“The city breathes cricket. With the kind of talent Rawalpindi has produced over the years, it’s only fitting that it gets its own PSL team,” Shoaib Akhtar said.

The former Pakistan fast bowler also picked the name for the franchise, saying that it should be called ‘Pindi Express.’

“I’ve said that it has to be Pindi Express, you must vouch for this hashtag for me, because man, this team should be there. And Sohail knows it, we know it — Pindi is the city of princes, a city full of extraordinary talent,” he added.

Several pacers have joined the ranks of the Pakistan national side from Rawalpindi, the current ones being Mohammad Wasim and Haris Rauf.

Shoaib Akhtar, hailing from Rawalpindi, earned the nickname Pindi Express for famously clocking 161.3 km/h during his playing days.

Meanwhile, PSL CEO Salman Naseer has said that the Pakistan Cricket Board was hoping to expand from six to eight teams after the PSL 10.

First staged in 2016 in the United Arab Emirates due to security concerns, the PSL is now hosted in Pakistan.

“By the end of this year, we might get two more teams,” PSL CEO Salman Naseer told local media last month.

“We started at a time when no cricket was happening in Pakistan. The challenge was to bring it back. Now that we’ve successfully brought cricket back to traditional centres, the next step is expanding beyond these four cities (Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Multan),” he added.