The Stadium Reality
Jinnah Stadium Sialkot, in its original form, no longer exists. It has been converted into a high-performance academy under Pakistan Cricket Board control after Mohsin Naqvi assumed chairmanship. Practically speaking, Sialkot currently has no PSL-ready venue.
Result: despite being branded as Sialkot, the franchise’s operational home will be Faisalabad—at least initially.
Faisalabad Over Sialkot: Pragmatism Beats Sentiment
From a league operations perspective, Faisalabad is the correct interim choice.
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Match-ready infrastructure
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Lower upgrade timelines
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Central Punjab logistics
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Broadcast reliability
This isn’t a snub to Sialkot. It’s risk management. Hamza Majeed’s commitment to begin work on a High Performance Center in Sialkot within days—and to eventually restore a stadium—keeps the long-term promise intact. Until then, Faisalabad keeps the franchise competitive rather than symbolic.
Team Name: Shaheens, Stallions… or Something New?
Despite social media noise, Sialkot Stallions is very unlikely. Insider chatter points toward a fresh identity—possibly Sialkot Shaheens, but nothing is final. The ownership wants a name that:
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Scales globally
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Avoids nostalgia traps
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Aligns with a modern PSL brand
Expect an announcement designed for merchandising and international visibility—not just local sentiment.
Retention Wars: The Real Power Struggle
The league’s biggest fault line isn’t teams—it’s retentions.
The Three Camps
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Existing franchises: want 4–5 retentions to protect cores they built.
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New franchises (initial stance): prefer zero retentions to level the field.
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PCB compromise: maximum of three retentions.
Behind closed doors, realism is winning.
