Written by: Waseem Abbas
Posted on: October 08, 2021 | 
| 中文
The Official banner of the Celebrity Premier League (CPL)
The first-ever Celebrity Premier League (CPL) in Pakistan kicked off in Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on the 6th of October. Sponsored by a number of corporate institutions, the League aims to build Pakistan's image positively. All six teams are studded with celebrities from the film industry, TV, media, and politics.
The League will not only provide entertainment to the people of the twin cities, but it will also give the message to the world that Pakistan is a safe place for sports. After the dramatic return of the New Zealand Cricket Team recently from Pakistan without playing a single match, citing security reasons, the need was felt to organize such a tournament that would boost Pakistan's image worldwide. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also organized the first half of the National T20 Cup, Pakistan's premier domestic T20 tournament, in Rawalpindi from 23rd September to 3rd October. Organizing cricket tournaments in Rawalpindi has symbolic significance, as it is the same venue where New Zealand was scheduled to play its series, which they called off dramatically.
A group photo of the organizers and the sponsors of the CPL
Celebrity Premier League is organized by Danial Arshad and Usman Usmani, and is sponsored by ZEM Builders, Nova City, DeConcepts, Media Sniffers, and Air Sial. Initially, the League was scheduled for the first week of October, but because of its overlap with the National T20 Cup, it was postponed for a few days. The mega-event started on the 6th of October, with a performance by Ali Zafar to a jam-packed stadium.
Ali Zafar performing at the opening ceremony of the CPL (credits to UMAR's Photography)
Singer Ali Zafar gave a spellbinding performance at the opening ceremony in front of an ecstatic crowd. Ali Zafar sang his popular PSL 2017's anthem, “Ab Khel Jamay Ga” (Now the game will be stronger) and his recently released Pashto song “Larsha Pekhawar” (go to Peshawar).
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Makhdoom Zain Qureshi, Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Sports, said that “Pakistan has what it takes to host international matches, and this event is a manifestation of it. This League will help in the revival of cricket and will spread the message that Pakistan is a safe country for sports”. Speaking on the occasion, Qasim Khan Suri, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, also reiterated the hope that international cricket will be back in Pakistan soon.
Two Special kids were called as guests at the opening ceremony of the Celebrity Premier League (photo credits, Safdar Ali Chachar)
Raja Kamran Ishtiaq, the CEO of CPL, said that cricket is in our blood, Media Sniffers' marketing head Jamal Rasheed Khan paid tribute to the security agencies for their valuable services in bringing peace back to Pakistan, and also to the frontline health workers for their efforts during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Media Sniffers CEO Usman Usmani said: "Covid-19 has taken a toll on the physical and mental health of everyone in the world, and an event such as celebrity Premier League (CPL) is going to lift the morale of everyone."
Shafqat Amanat Ali sang the official anthem of the CPL
The official anthem of the CPL, sung by Shafqat Amanat Ali, "Wo Hai CPL", has set the bar high for the singers who are to perform in the event. Ali Zafar's performance on 6th October, and Asrar and Amanat Ali's on the 7th October lived up to the expectations of the crowd. CPL is going to be a performance-packed event as Babar Ali is scheduled to perform on the 8th, Mustafa Zahid and Dhool band on the 9th, and Asim Azhar and Aima Baig on the 10th of October. However, in the first two days of the event, it looked as if the event is more of a concert than a cricket league, as the organizers and the audience were both focused only on the concerts.
Hamayun Saeed and Saleem Sheikh in a Pre Celebrity League match that the CPL organizers had organized in Faisalabad
Famous showbiz personalities are leading the teams: Islamabad Nova is led by veteran actor Moammar Rana, Peshawar Tigers by writer Khalil ul Rehman Qamar, Rawalpindi Stars by singer Shafqat Amanat Ali, Lahore Heroes by film star Saleem Sheikh, Karachi Royals by versatile actor Faisal Qureshi, and Quetta Markhors by Ali Zafar. Besides these big names, many other famous personalities are also participating in the CPL, including Zulfi Bukhari, Aijaz Aslam, Qasim Khan Suri, anchorperson Hamid Mir, Saud Qasmi, Shahzad Iqbal (anchor), Ibrar Ul Haq, Talat Hussain, Asim Raza, Mansoor Ali Khan, Fakhr-e-Alam, Senator Faisal Javed, Mustafa Zahid, and Falak Shabbir.
In the first game of the fiesta, Peshawar Tigers thrashed Islamabad Nova by 8 wickets in a comfortable chase. Zulfi Bukhari scored a scintillating fifty for Peshawar in the game. While on day two, Shafqat Amanat’s Rawalpindi Stars chased down the target of 233 in the penultimate over with five wickets in hand, against Saleem Sheikh’s Lahore Heroes.
Sana Fakhar with host and actor Faheem Abbas
Tickets for the CPL are available online at Bookme.com. The prices for each day are 1,000 rupees for normal tickets, and 5,000 rupees for VIP tickets. Two matches are scheduled each day; the first game will start at 3 pm and the second at 8 pm. The concerts are scheduled at 7 pm, at the end of the first game, and before the start of the second game. All the matches of CPL will be broadcasted live on Geo Super. The final of the five days long event will be played on 10th October, followed by a singing performance of Asim Azhar and Aima Baig.
(L to R) Saud Qasmi, Aijaz Aslam and Noman Habib
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