After two failed attempts in 2013 and 2014 to launch a glitzy Twenty20 tournament that could help fill up its fast-drying coffers, Pakistan is ready to take the plunge with their Super League (PSL) which starts Thursday in Dubai.
The long-awaited first edition follows previous efforts that fell through over a lack of sponsorship and the suspension of international cricket at home in the wake of a militant attack on the Sri Lankan team almost seven years ago.
With Pakistan’s once-dominant Twenty20 side sliding to a lowly seventh place in the world rankings following their recent series defeat against New Zealand, organisers are keen for local talent to hone their skills alongside global superstars including Chris Gayle, Kevin Pietersen and Shane Watson.
Featuring 69 local and 29 foreign stars, the five-team, 24-match league will run from today until February 23 across two stadiums in Sharjah and Dubai – Pakistan’s “home away from home” since the 2009 terror attack. The opening match of the tournament will see Islamabad United take on Quetta Gladiators at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The teams were sold to private consortiums for a sum of $93 million across 10 years, with $200,000 salaries for top-tier players and relatively handsome paydays for middle-tier and emerging talent. The winning side, meanwhile, will take home a cool $1 million.
Pakistan’s domestic players haven’t had the opportunity to interact with the world’s best players for more than seven years now and this league is seen as an opportunity for them to come out of isolation and get a taste of all that is new in the game. For Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik, the PSL should help bridge the gap between Pakistan and the rest of the world when it comes to limited overs cricket which has gradually increased over the past few years.
“We have been struggling to match other teams,” agreed Malik, who was part of the team which lost a Twenty20 series in New Zealand 2-1 last month. “The PSL provides a launching pad for the future generation of players as the young players in each team will learn a lot which is good for the future of Pakistan cricket,” he added.
With so much riding on the tournament, PSL chief Najam Sethi admits the pressure is on the organisers to ensure that the league is a success so that Pakistan cricket can stand up on its feet financially once again.
So which one of @SAfridiOfficial @realshoaibmalik @AzharAli_ @SarfarazA_54 @wasimakramlive is going to win? pic.twitter.com/QWZqMnnPLL
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 3, 2016
“Naturally there is a pressure. The thing is we tried to launch the PSL two years ago and couldn’t manage it. We can’t afford failure, it has to be successful and will be successful,” he said.
“We have a good management team and the best part of it is that we got five top businessmen and companies to bid for the five franchises. So we got more than a reserved price which is a great indication of the enormous interest it has gained and the desire of each Pakistani to make it a success. Even if it means losses for them in the first year or so,” he added.
While organsiers are optimistic about a good start in the UAE, they admit that in order to be viable the tournament will need to return to Pakistan for greater gate and TV revenues, while rampant piracy puts a question mark over the profitability of kit merchandising.
Sethi also believes that ultimately, the tournament will have to feature games in Pakistan to ensure greater revenue for the players and stakeholders. “Maybe next year we can convince the foreign players to play in the PSL and play one or two games in Pakistan where we can guarantee security. That can open the way for international cricket to come back to Pakistan,” he said.
