KARACHI: Various football teams plan to hire new players in order to raise their standard ahead of the Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL), which will kick off at different venues of the country after Eid-ul-Fitr.
According to sources, Habib Bank Limited (HBL) are in search of quality players. Sources said that they want to recruit five or six players, mostly experienced, on competitive packages in order to raise their standard for the top league in which 16 leading outfits from the country will participate. Sources said that Habib Bank’s management contacted several players, some of whom demanded extremely high packages.
Meanwhile, Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC), the runners-up of the last edition, have recently hired the services of KRL’s goalkeeper Ghulam Nabi and are looking for recruiting a defender and a midfielder. KESC offer handsome salaries to footballers and some of the players in their current lot are paid over Rs50,000 per month besides perks.
Sources said that KRL, who have the top players of the country, could be the possible target of these teams.
KRL are also interested in taking the services of young striker Mansoor Khan, who is reported to have switched over to WAPDA from Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
But according to sources, there are doubts about Mansoor because he is still on the pay-roll of the PAF. Mansoor, who played a key role in Pakistan Under-16 team title triumph in the SAFF Cup in Nepal in 2011, could also be approached by another department before the league.
WAPDA, the record four-time Premier league winners, have recruited around 70 players, mostly young and there are chances that the country’s most resourceful side will be seen in a different shape in the marathon league.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have also been struggling to strengthen their side ahead of the Premier League which will last for five months.
It has been witnessed for the last few years that the market value of footballers in Pakistan has been increasing as most of the organisations have kept football and cricket on their priority list.
Source: The News