COVER STORY
Pakistan Super League (PSL) is our own brand and it should be staged at home - not at some neutral venue. That’s the bottom line. The third edition of the PSL clearly struggled to attract large crowds in the UAE, but when it came home for the last three matches of the tournament, it brought back all the gloss that makes it one of the most exciting leagues in the world.
Pakistan has been suffering tremendously since the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in 2010. In the wake of that unfortunate incident, the doors of not only international cricket but also other sports were closed on Pakistan. With the security situation limping back to normalcy, the country is letting the world know that Pakistanis are a peace-loving nation and are ready to host sporting events.
That’s exactly why the cricket fans in Lahore and Karachi roared while welcoming the foreign players to the country.
Making the playoff matches and the final successful in Pakistan was never possible without the untiring efforts of each and every individual. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi, especially, deserves all the plaudits as he left no stone unturned in turning it into a reality.
Without a doubt, there is a lot to be done to make the tournament bigger and better in the years to come as the league has the potential to stamp its authority in every nook and corner of the cricket-playing world.
The reluctance of the marquee players to visit Pakistan raised eyebrows and convincing them was an uphill task for the franchises and PSL management.
With huge fanfare and adrenaline-pumping moments, PSL-3 ensured that each contest was intense and exciting.
Lahore Qalandars, as usual, despite being a well-equipped unit, failed to click. And when they did, it was too late. Their downfall followed a similar pattern in all three seasons. They were a talented side that played recklessly and showed no intent to learn from their mistakes. Umar Akmal was a huge disappointment once again. He always likes to stay in the news for all the wrong reasons. And, he didn’t miss any opportunity this time around as well. Despite bagging a whopping amount of money, he failed miserably with the bat, scoring just 57 runs in five matches, which prompted the team management to axe him for the rest of the matches. For a player who started his career so brilliantly that he was tipped to become a world-class batsman, Umar has not lived up to the expectations. If the whole world is against you, just let your bat do the talking, and stop humiliating others with your despicable gimmicks. Lahore’s new sensation Shaheen Shah Afridi was one of the finds of PSL-3 and he has a bright future ahead of him. He is ruthless and quick with the ball, and with proper training and guidance can make any batsman sweat. His big moment in the event arrived when he produced a fairytale performance by snaring five wickets for just four runs against Multan Sultans and helped his team snap a six-match losing streak. New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum was the skipper of Lahore.
Multan Sultans made their debut this season and were a surprise package as they started their campaign impressively, and even stayed atop the table for some time. But when it mattered the most, they came down crashing to earth and out of the PSL. They had a good, balanced side, with highly-experienced Wasim Akram and Tom Moody in the coaching ranks and the team was captained by veteran Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara. It will be interesting to see how they fine-tune prior to the next season.
Sarfraz Ahmed-led Quetta Gladiators, like the last edition, were the victims of exodus as their two key players, Kevin Pietersen and Shane Watson, opted against travelling to Pakistan with the team for their play-off matches. This weakened the side and dented their chances of qualifying for the decider. From their loss to Peshawar Zalmi in the eliminator, it was evident that had they come firing on all cylinders they would have been a force to be reckoned with. The defeat led to calls from former Pakistan captain and coach of Gladiators, Moin Khan, to only include those players in the PSL draft who are willing to visit Pakistan with the team.
Karachi Kings were a good team, but they were never the contenders for the title. They had a jittery journey, but somehow managed to advance to the playoffs at the expense of Multan, where they were toppled by Peshawar. Skippered by Imad Wasim, they had the likes of Mohamamd Amir, Babar Azam, Shahid Afridi and Ravi Bopara.
Defending champions Peshawar Zalmi stumbled in the beginning, but they clawed their way back into contention for the title with some phenomenal performances. However, they came short in the final. Kamran Akmal steered Peshawar into the final with his explosive batting throughout the tournament. He whacked the first-ever ton of the PSL when he scored 107 off just 61 balls against Karachi Kings in Eliminator 2. His blistering displays had helped him knock on the selectors’ door for a call-up to the national side. But, he was a major flop in the summit clash. He was completely out of sorts and his butter-fingers made his team suffer for the title. Peshawar’s captain Darren Sammy, despite limping in the last few matches, decided to keep playing and did his best in lifting his team up, but they were outlasted in the final. Sammy, among foreign players, has played a big role in bringing cricket back to Pakistan.
Islamabad United, who were the front runners to seal the title for the second time, did it in remarkable fashion. They rounded off a glorious tournament, which featured scintillating all-round performances, particularly from 36-year-old Luke Ronchi who came of age and shone with the bat to shepherd his team to the title-winning triumph. He made batting looked so easy against all the oppositions. The bowlers had no answer to his exquisite strokes. He made 435 runs at an average of 43 and was adjudged the Man of the Tournament.
Surprisingly, the standard of fielding in this edition of PSL was exceptional. From Shahid Afridi’s stunning catch on the boundary to Joe Denly’s breathtaking effort in the cover, PSL-3 was full of fielding heroics.
Karachi witnessed cricketing action after almost nine years and its citizens had been buzzing with delight ever since the news of the return of cricket to the city broke. Some high-profile sporting events in the last one year in Pakistan made a strong case in convincing teams and players to tour the country. Ronaldinho and Company played 5-a-side football exhibition matches in Karachi and Lahore. WWE-famed wrestlers also visited the two cities for a private event. Pakistan also hosted its Davis Cup ties in Islamabad. The tours of hockey’s and cricket’s World XI teams, at last, paved the way for Pakistan to let the world know that it is ready than ever to hold international events, of which it had been deprived of, on its own soil.
The empty seats in most of the matches of PSL-3 in the UAE clearly suggested that the league must be completely brought to home in a bid to make it more animated. By doing so, more avenues will be created and more sponsors will jump in, making it hugely profitable for all the stakeholders. PSL has provided a huge boost to Pakistani cricket, keeping in view the shabby domestic system which has badly hampered the growth of the sport. With more money involved, PSL has given a new lease of life to cricket in Pakistan, encouraging more youngsters to take up the sport.
One thing is still challenging and that needs to be addressed. Half of the city cannot be put into lockdown for the security of the foreign players. There has to be accommodation facilities with the training grounds, so that the movement of the players can be kept limited. It was seen that fans had to suffer in the scorching heat of Karachi while buying tickets and then reaching the ground to watch the match. Closing the roads will multiply problems for the citizens of any city.
Najam Sethi announced after the successful staging of the final in Karachi on March 25 that it was time the PSL moved on to other cities as well. Among others, he particularly mentioned Multan, Faisalabad and Hyderabad.
With the arrival of the West Indian side for a Twenty20 series to Karachi, others will probably follow suit. And, if a top side as South Africa agrees to play here, whose authorities had expressed willingness to send their team provided Pakistan successfully organised a few international events on its soil, the country will undoubtedly be able to resume international events full-fledgedly.
Times are changing. Short versions are the future. People are no longer interested in spending their money on a five-day match. Test cricket is finding it hard to coexist with our fast-paced lives. A lacklustre game has no value for the fans. T20 leagues have turned into pure entertainment. This is the reason why franchises have roped in celebrities as brand ambassadors to enhance the image of their teams. For instance, Peshawar Zalmi named Mahira Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi as their brand ambassadors.
