The Pakistan Super League will kick off on February 4, and Pakistanis can’t wait.
The teams been bought, logos unveiled, players chosen and ceremonies have begun.
The country which was once sidelined from the sport is now ready to launch a tournament under its name. But will all this effort make a difference?
The PSL idea is not new. Time and time again there were talks about Pakistan’s own Twenty20 cricket league. It may have been inspired by the IPL (Indian Premier League) but the idea never materialised.
Competing with IPL is not possible. The IPL is way larger than the PSL.
Money surely is important. The money the PSL has is enough to carryout a tournament that only spans 20 days.
So we can expect a professional tournament, but the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) can’t expect much money from it. The tournament will however be enough to make some money for Pakistani cricket, which has struggled in the absence of international matches on home soil.
The next big thing is marketing and advertising. The franchises are bought at considerably high prices and the names are pretty attractive. There are some big names attached to the League, like Australians Shane Watson and Dean Jones along with Chris Gayle, Kevin Pietersen and Shahid Afridi.
One big drawback is that the league is not taking place in Pakistan, but in Pakistan’s second home – the U.A.E. However we can expect the Pakistani labour community to fill up the stadiums.
PSL Fan
Guest
PCB is hoping to move the event to Pakistan in a couple of years. http://hblpakistansuperleague.com
Arsalan
Guest
First,Pakistan was the first to introduce domestic league in the cricket world.Second, We still have domestic T20 league other then PSL like "HAIER T20 CUP" but it lack of interest of crowd because of no international player want to come Pakistan. The core purpose of PSL is to ensure that Pakistan is safe to play for international players ,also to create good understanding between international and Pakistani players,and to provide some money for domestic players as well as to provide experience for young players. Suggestion for you, "Don't say something if you don't understand the situation of that country"
Arsalan Siddiqui
Guest
First,Pakistan was the first to introduce domestic league in the cricket world.Second, We still have domestic T20 league other then PSL like "HAIER T20 CUP" but it lack of interest of crowd because of no international player want to come Pakistan.The core purpose of PSL is to ensure that Pakistan is safe to play for international players ,also to create good understanding between international and Pakistani players,and to provide some money for domestic players as well as to provide experience for young players. Suggestion for you, "Don't say something if you don't understand the situation of that country"
Peter Z
Guest
What a shame its not being played in Pakistan. I reckon they should forget about the international players and just play in Pakistan with their domestic stars. That way the local fans have cricket again. I recall earlier models of T20 cricket in Pakistan with domestic players had impressive crowds.