Come Thursday, the third edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will get underway in all its glory at the Dubai International Stadium as Peshawar Zalmi take on Multan Sultans in the tournament opener.
Pakistan’s premier T20 competition has come a long way since its maiden edition in 2016 where it started with five franchises in tow. With international cricket still a rarity in the country following the terror attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in 2009, it was Pakistan’s adopted home, the UAE, which played host to the inaugural edition.
The brainchild of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Najam Sethi, the PSL’s goals were ambitious to say the least. Meant to be Pakistan’s answer to the Indian Premier League (IPL), the PSL was supposed to become the cash-cow of the governing body while also churning out future stars for the national team.
While the results of the former are mixed and ambiguous to say the least, there is no denying that the latter aspect has largely paid off. It is no coincidence that there has been an upturn in Pakistan’s limited-overs performance since the advent of the PSL.
That Sarfraz Ahmed’s men captured the adulation of the cricketing world with their fairytale triumph at the ICC Champions Trophy in England last year and are currently the No1 ranked team in T20Is is in some part, down to having a competition of the ilk of the PSL.
PSL has contributed immensely to the national team’s cause.
Players like Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman and Hasan Ali, all had breakthrough performances in the league which caught the eyes of the Pakistan selectors.
On the financial aspect, the maiden season was an all-round success with a profit of US$2.6 million being announced. The profits this time around are estimated to be less, approximately $1m, though it remains unconfirmed. That slow down, can largely be attributed to the finals of the second season being held in Lahore.
The PSL was seen as a vehicle to rekindle international cricket in the country and with international stars like Darren Sammy flying in for the finals, it was a start. That paved the way somewhat for the ICC World XI which toured Pakistan later in the year followed by Sri Lanka for a lone T20I. Soon, the West Indies will tour for a three-match T20I series.
This year, the PSL will see a total of three matches being held on home soil with Lahore hosting both semi-finals and Karachi the summit clash which is another improvement in that regard.
So there remains no doubt that the impact of the PSL has been far reaching and will only continue to grow. Now if only they could raise the attendances figures in the UAE, that would be swell.
