All is not well in the ongoing second edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2017. The menace of spot-fixing has once again reared its ugly head and that has earned a bad name for the league. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken quick action, suspending Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif in order to set an example for others. Only time will tell how the PCB handles the players’ involvement with bookies syndicate under the current scenario, when all the precautionary measures were taken to prevent these kinds of activities.

The PCB has decided that the final of PSL 2017 will be played in Lahore on March 5 and it is willing to face the consequences, which may include non-participation of top foreign professionals.

All the franchises, the government of Punjab, and the Pakistan Army have consented to support the decision of PCB, which is based on the ego of Mr Najam Sethi, the head of the PSL. I pray that all goes well. One thing, however, is clear in my mind. The PSL final may not be able to bring back international cricket in Pakistan because that is a different ball game. That is dependent on the Indian influence in the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the overall global politics.

One must also analyze with different ways to ascertain whether the league is successful in achieving its basic targets.

The basic objectives of any cricket league are very common such as financial gain for all (Cricket Board, Franchises, Players), exposure of the country’s cricketers to top world class players, involving the whole nation in sports and modern cricket adoption.

It has been observed that the franchises are not working professionally. They are being run as a seth runs his business. The owner calls the shots all the time. The PCB has failed to draw a strategy to ensure that the best of the best get chance in the league -- those who have been the best performers of domestic cricket season, best and highly qualified coaches of the country and definitely umpires and referees.

It is the responsibility of the PSL management to keep them on board through their planning and decision making. May I take the liberty to suggest these top ten performers of domestic season (batsman, bowlers). Every franchise should be bound to take at least two of these players.

By doing this they will be part of the PSL and get reward of their top performances in domestic cricket.

The ones deserving to be part of current PSL season due to extraordinary performance in domestic season are Asif Zakir, Usman Salahuddin, Fawad Alam, Owais Zia, Imam ul Haq and Salman Butt. The best bowlers have been Tabish Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Abbas, Atif Jabbar and Imran Khan.

There are ten highly qualified coaches in the country. The PCB has developed and invested huge amounts in them but only four of these master coaches are part of this modern-day cricket. In other words, the PCB has wasted its investments. If they were made a part of this mega event, it would have improved their overall coaching standard and that would have benefitted our cricket a lot. The PCB should have advised the franchises to pick these coaches.

Aaqib Javed (Lahore Qalandars), Abdul Rehman (Peshawar Zalmi), Mohtashim Rasheed (Peshawar Zalmi) and Shahid Aslam (Lahore Qalandars) are the four qualified master coaches of Pakistan engaged in the PSL but Jalaluddin (Test Cricketer), Azam Khan (Test Cricketer), Mansoor Rana, Umar Rasheed, Taimoor Khan and Ali Zia have not been provided the opportunity to showcase their coaching skills at the PSL although they possess the credentials.

The premier coaches of Pakistan with loads of experience at the national level certainly deserve to be involved with the franchises in the PSL.

Umpiring is a very sensitive area. Poor umpiring standard may ruin the whole event. Many poor decisions have been witnessed in this edition. The franchises and the players have been complaining about sub-standard umpiring which has earned a bad name for the league.

It is surprising that none of the Karachi umpires has been included in PSL umpiring panel, though Karachi has well reputed and experienced umpires like Riazuddin, an international umpire, and Khalid Mahmood, who recently stood in the BPL.

The appointment of umpires is the responsibility of the PCB and the PSL management with the franchises not expected to have any say in this matter.

These are the few grey areas of the PSL which can easily be rectified. It will enhance the value of the PSL.

If Najam Sethi and his cronies are dreaming about the PSL becoming one of the top leagues of cricketing world, they have to keep clean their own home through transparent decision-making. The choice is theirs.