Players: Super League will revolutionise Pakistan cricket

Jaideep Marar 05:49 18/01/2016
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  • New horizons: Pakistan cricket.

    The Pakistan Super League has the potential to transform the game in the country, according to players and administrators.

    PSL chairman Najam Sethi believes the Twenty20 league which makes its debut in the UAE next month is the best thing to have happened in Pakistan cricket.

    “PSL is the biggest development in Pakistan cricket in 65 years,” he said while speaking at a media interaction in Dubai on Sunday.

    Fawad Alam, who is in the UAE representing Pakistan A to play a five-match one-day series against England Lions from Wednesday, echoed similar sentiments and revealed the cricketing fraternity in Pakistan is excited about the PSL.

    “It is a massive event for Pakistan cricket. Players are looking forward to interacting with international cricketers of repute and sharing their skills,” he said.

    The left-handed batsman believes it is also an opportunity for fringe players like him and Junaid Khan, Ehsan Adil and Bilal Asif – all part of the A squad – to get back into the national team for the upcoming World Twenty20 in March.

    “If you do well in this tournament the selectors will definitely be inclined to include you in the World T20 team. I’m sure there will be many players out there who would like to do that,” he added.

    Pakistan’s women’s team captain Sana Amir believes the league will help in the growth of young players.

    “It is going to be very important for Pakistan’s young players to share the dressing room with the legends of the game,” she said. “It’s a wonderful initiative by the PCB.”

    Karachi Kings owner Salman Iqbal is yet to get over the turnout at the launch of his team at the National Stadium in Karachi on January 8.

    “Almost 33,000 turned up despite the fact that there was no cricket,” said the UAE-based Iqbal, who is also founder and president of the ARY Group. “It was unbelievable and the entire stadium was full. It actually felt like an India vs Pakistan match. Karachi has gone through so much troubled times that people actually wanted to come out and celebrate.

    “It shows that Pakistan is still a good cricketing nation and after seeing the turn out, even our prime minister Nawaz Sharif wrote to the PCB that he wants one or two matches of the PSL in Pakistan.”

    The inaugural PSL will feature five teams and 24 matches to be played in Dubai and Sharjah between February 3 and 23.

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