Kevin Pietersen — AFP/file

Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen became the latest big-name cricketer to confirm participation in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Pietersen's name was a remarkable addition in the list of cricketers revealed by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) following a vibrant launch event held in Lahore on Sunday.

In a video message played during the ceremony, Pietersen said: “Absolutely buzzing to be a part of the Pakistani mela (event) coming up in February. I can't wait to get it started. It looks like it is going to be a wonderful competition. Lots of fun, lots of sixes, lots of wickets, typical T20 stuff. I am really excited to be a part of this wonderful tournament.”

PSL, a franchise based T20 tournament, will be played between February 4 and 24 in 2016 and is expected to include five teams from the provincial capitals - Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta.

After months of consideration with uncertainties surrounding issues of logistics and marquee player participation, PCB received a boost when famous international cricketers Chris Gayle, Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Dwayne Bravo and several other stars confirmed their interest in the competition.

Each player signed up for the league will be included in a player draft that will be held later in time.

The PCB, however, are yet to finalize the venue of the tournament with the likelihood of the tournament in UAE now apparently possibly in a rotation basis with the competing Masters Champions League (MCL).

PCB also have the option of staging the event in Qatar but are understood to be looking into the financial perks of hosting it in the UAE, where Pakistan have been playing their international matches since 2010.