Pakistan Super League: A Game-Changer
By Faraz Khan
Islamabad, Pakistan
For my generation, cricket in Pakistan can be divided into two distinct eras. For my father, the emergence of Imran Khan as a fearless leader marked the end of one epoch and the start of another. Before the Imran era, Pakistan teams played fearful cricket fearfully.
Players at the time may have expressed themselves off the field of play but seldom on it. During and after Imran’s successful tenure, the style of play had changed. It was inspired and innovative. Raw young talents were given free reign by their captain, and they rewarded him with a World Cup win few could have predicted.
In my time as a cricket lover, no Pakistani cricketer has influenced the style of play quite like Imran Khan. That said, I can point to the Pakistan Super League as a defining influence on young cricketers throughout the country. For one, it has opened up a respectable avenue of income which was previously denied to those without central contracts and lucrative sponsorships. Where once parents discouraged their children from taking up the sport, in increasing numbers that trend has changed.
Second, PSL has, in effect, largely removed the veil of secrecy behind which Pakistani selectors have typically operated. Where once fans of the game had little knowledge of emerging talent, now youngsters in playgrounds nation-wide are familiar with the names and statistics of many cricketers—not just the tired old hands that have been plying their trade for seemingly endless years. Without the PSL, it’s likely that instead of Shadab Khan, Shahid Afridi would still be bowling leg-breaks for Pakistan.
Third, the benefits of interaction between local Pakistani cricketers and their international teammates should not be underestimated. Modern-day cricket skills cannot be learned just by watching television. They need to be honed during practice sessions, in the team hotel, and in dressing rooms. Pakistan can be rightfully proud of homegrown talents like Haider Ali, but the role his captain Darren Sammy – 2-time T20 World Champion Windies skipper – played in the youngster’s development cannot be overlooked.
Fourth, playing in front of large audiences and under the microscopic scrutiny of television cameras is the best possible pressured training for young cricketers. So when they are selected for national duty and competing against their counterparts from India, Australia and England, young Pakistani players will not be disadvantaged by not having performed in front of boisterous crowds in packed stadiums. Because of this exposure, they shall be better equipped to put in fighting performances.
Undoubtedly, hosting the PSL in Pakistan is a logistical nightmare—not just for law enforcement but for ordinary citizens. Few sporting events around the world will have seen anything approaching the security arrangements regularly on show before and during every single PSL game. For the citizens of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Karachi, and Multan who have had their freedom of movement disrupted during this time, the PSL must feel like an extravagant waste of time and resources. But for a country ravaged by years of political upheaval, economic uncertainty and social discord, cricket is not just a sport. It is in a very real sense a binding force, bringing Pakistanis of all stripes closer together and renewing a sense of national unity.
So yes, the PSL this year was unsatisfyingly incomplete. Abandoned just when it was entering the final stages because of Covid-19, the PCB, Franchise owners, players and the viewing public were denied a chance to really and truly celebrate the return of cricket to Pakistan. But make no mistake, there will be another PSL and despite all the hassle and the expense, it will be played in Pakistan. Nothing else, and nothing less is acceptable to the people of this country.
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