A win for all

There weren’t many fans of Islamabad United at the National Stadium on Sunday night but each and every one of the more than 33,000 present at the iconic venue rejoiced as Misbah-ul-Haq and his men celebrated with the Pakistan Super League (PSL) trophy after beating defending champions Peshawar Zalmi in the final. They were joined in the jubilation by hundreds of millions of their compatriots, who remained glued to their TV sets to watch the final which was dubbed as the match of the decade on Pakistani soil. The celebrations would have been similar had Peshawar won the title – or any other of the six PSL franchises, for that matter. It wasn’t just Islamabad’s victory, it was Pakistan’s victory and a big one as the country continues its war against extremism.

The biggest winner of the night was Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city which was once counted among the major destinations in world cricket. Bringing big-time cricket back to Karachi, a city plagued by a plethora of security issues, seemed like a pipedream even at the time when Najam Sethi announced last year that he would stage the PSL 3 final at Quaid-e-Azam’s birthplace. There were many stumbling block to be sure. Due to a variety of issues ranging from security fears to the shambolic state of the National Stadium, there were apprehensions that the PCB would not be able fulfil its promise. But kudos to the board – especially Najam Sethi - for sticking to their guns and coming through. Kudos also to the city of Karachi’s government machinery and the security agencies who helped realise this fairytale return of high-profile cricket to Karachi.

The success of Sunday night’s final should provide a boost to Pakistan’s efforts to revive international cricket at home. Things are already happening fast. From next Sunday, Karachi will host back-to-back-to-back a three-match Twenty20 International series against the West Indies at the National Stadium. The series, to be played from April 1-3, should pave the path for more home games later this year. Buoyed up by the success of PSL matches in Lahore and Karachi, the PCB is already fancying the prospects of convincing even top-tier teams like South Africa to come and play in Pakistan in the near future.

Cricket’s return to Pakistan is good news but our authorities will have to find ways and means to facilitate spectators coming to watch matches. Massive lockdowns and traffic jams were witnessed in both Karachi and Lahore during the two PSL playoffs. The authorities should know that fans are an important part of the equation, and they won’t keep coming back if such stringent security measures continue. Security personnel will have to be trained to provide security in a more subtle manner. Pakistan, meanwhile, can bask in the glory of another successful PSL edition. It rolled into action in the UAE and by the time it reached home, the PSL was the talk of every Pakistani town. It is hoped that plans to host at least half of season 4 in Pakistan are successful because that’s where the PSL belongs.