One city, 25 towns: how the TPL built a team for every corner of Karachi

The Towns Premier League is the first cricket competition in Karachi to give a team to every town in the city. Twenty-six teams will compete: 25 representing Karachi's towns, from Saddar, Lyari and Korangi to Malir, Gadap and Baldia, plus one team representing the Mayor of Karachi, the KMC Rulers, led by Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab. Each town team is backed by its town chairman, and the launch ceremony saw the team jerseys unveiled together with the league anthem. The message behind the campaign has been the same from day one: First Time in Karachi, All Towns Together. The league is played in the tape-ball format, the version of cricket played in the streets, playgrounds and neighbourhoods of the city. That choice keeps the competition close to its roots and makes it a realistic stage for players who have grown up playing the game locally. Patron-in-Chief Nasir Hussain Shah said at the launch that the TPL is built around inclusion, grassroots cricket, local talent, healthy competition, sportsmanship and community participation, and that it is a completely non-political initiative focused on youth development and unity. For supporters, the league brings something new to the city as well: a team that represents their own neighbourhood, and a season-long reason to turn up and back local cricket. Sources: The Public Purview: https://thepublicpurview.com/towns-premier-league-karachi-grassroots-cricket/ Daily Times: https://dailytimes.com.pk/1545794/towns-premier-league-launched-to-promote-grassroots-cricket-in-karachi/