Shoaib Akhtar interview: Pakistan legend on PSL, Karachi final and future of international cricket in country

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  • Pakistan legend Shoaib Akhtar believes the Pakistan Super League is going from strength to strength and Sunday’s showpiece final in Karachi acts as another shop window to show that the country is well on the way to staging top-level cricket again regularly.

    The 2016 winners Islamabad United are set to take on defending champions Peshawar Zalmi at the capital city’s National Stadium, amid a background of presidential-style security with thousands of police and armed forces personnel deployed in a sporting event of great significance.

    After the completion of two successful semi-final contests in Lahore, the hope is everything goes smoothly in Karachi as cricket once again takes centre stage in a nation which has been virtually starved of cricket in its own backyard since the 2009 terror attacks on the touring Sri Lankan team bus.

    Cult figure Akhtar – the fastest bowler the world has ever seen when he incredibly breached the 100mph barrier against England at the 2003 ICC World Cup – is optimistic about the future and the progress his nation is making, but is under no illusions it is a gradual process which takes time.

    “It’s taken baby steps to bring cricket back to Pakistan and it’s not been easy although we have done all the right kind of things to bring it home,” Akhtar told Sport360 exclusively on the sidelines of the first-ever Colors Cricket Conclave event in Dubai.

    “What we’ve been through over the last 70 years, becoming an independent country and especially over the last decade, we have to deal with terrorism and been the victim of terrorism.

    “Expecting Pakistan cricket to do miracles isn’t going to happen because other teams have not visited Pakistan for a decade,” the man nicknamed the Rawalpindi Express, due to his pace and humble beginnings in Punjab, said.

    “And, yet, surviving and being resilient about it, promoting and making a brand – the Pakistan Super League – out of nowhere, I think is a huge, commendable thing.”

    Since its first edition in 2016, the PSL has been hosted entirely in the UAE apart from last year’s final with the last three of this year’s  matches in Pakistan. But that looks all set to change, with disappointing crowds – particularly in Dubai and sprilling costs – hurrying the demand for change.

    Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Najam Sethi, whose ambitious plans have seen the country’s national sport return to home soil with last year’s clashes against a World XI and a T20I against Sri Lanka being proof of that, has launched a proposal to play at least half of the 2019 event in Pakistan, then the rest in Dubai and Sharjah.

    These are plans very much backed by Akhtar, with the 42-year-old having being kept in the loop with such developments given his advisory role with the PCB.

    “I think we can try and bring back more than half of PSL cricket to Pakistan. We are thankful for the people who are part of the process.”

    Broadcasters, sponsors and media aside – without doubt the key ingredient to that process is star overseas cricketers being willing to make that trip across the Arabian Gulf from the UAE to Pakistan.

    On Sunday, we will see two-time West Indies World T20-winning captain Darren Sammy lead Peshawar and he is perhaps the benchmark given he is a world-renowned international cricketer who has committed to the PSL, its project and helped paved the way in showing the country is safe for foreigners.

    Sammy is joined by the likes of England pair Liam Dawson and Chris Jordan, big-hitting Windies double-act Evin Lewis and Andre Fletcher and Bangladeshi Tamim Iqbal while for Islamabad, South Africa limited-overs star JP Duminy, English paceman Steven Finn, leg-spinner Samuel Badree, all-rounder Samit Patel and New Zealander Luke Ronchi are set to feature – going some way to show-off the roster of talent on show.

    Still, there were plenty of big-names, like Kevin Pietersen, Shane Watson and Eoin Morgan who all confirmed they would not travel to Pakistan.

    Naturally, Akhtar respects their decisions but believes that all contracted players to the tournament should have to travel to Pakistan and not have an opt-out alternative.

    Akhtar, who claimed 444 wickets in all formats for Pakistan in a glittering 14-year career, said their participation was his “biggest concern” moving forward.

    “I’ve shown (this) to the board.” He continued: “This is the cause of the ‘maybe contract’, the maybe players should not be there because it’s important that we only sign foreign players who are actually willing to come to Pakistan.”

    Around 90 per cent of the overseas talent participating in the PSL have or would have agreed to tread on Pakistan soil this term, and Akhtar believes if this figure can go to 100 per cent, then it is exciting times ahead.

    “PSL is a brand very in tune with Pakistan and is beginning to make its mark when becoming an entity. I think it’s another few years down the road but what I can see is PSL becoming one of the biggest brands after the IPL.

    “Let’s have the best of luck for Sunday and let’s promote the cricket once again.

    “Karachi, another important city in Pakistan, needs to emerge as a venue as successful as Lahore. It’s a safe city and now the city of Karachi needs to be a safe city for cricket.”

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