KARACHI: Captain Karachi Kings, Shoaib Malik Thursday named Sri Lanka star cricketer Kumar Sangakkara as the new captain of Karachi Kings for the second edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL 2), next year.

The announcement was made in a function of Karachi Kings held at Dubai.

Chris Gayle, on the occasion, said that he will be fit for the next season of the league and hoped to reach new heights with Karachi Kings.

Meanwhile, PSL Chairman Najam Sethi expressed hope that Cricket will come back to Pakistan and that PSL will be the door it comes in through.

Pakistan will stage the 2017 final of their Twenty20 franchise league in Lahore.

Some 414 players were placed in the draft for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on Wednesday, a list which included former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, West Indian stars Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, Australia’s Shane Watson, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan and England’s Twenty20 captain Eoin Morgan.

Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen will also take part, while the inclusion of Morgan is particularly noteworthy after he withdrew from England’s ongoing tour of Bangladesh over security concerns.

Five teams took part in the inaugural edition of the PSL which was held entirely in Dubai and Sharjah in February this year.

“The second edition of the PSL, again with five teams in competition, will be more successful and the final will be held in Lahore,” Sethi announced at the draft ceremony.

“International players know what we can do; most of them are ready to come to Pakistan and play.”

Sethi said top-level security will be put in place for the players.

“It will be a fly-in, fly out plan and the government has promised to give full security to the players. We are convinced that the final will happen in Lahore,” he said.

McCullum said he was delighted to be playing in the PSL for the first time.

“It’s a great honour to be part of the PSL and I am sure with development plans in place this league will give Pakistan some very good players,” said McCullum. – Agencies