Since its inception in 2016, the Pakistan Super League has been a rollercoaster ride of breathtaking moments, showcasing the best of Pakistani cricket alongside international stars in a fusion of talent and excitement.
In the first few seasons, the tournament attracted some of the biggest cricket stars on the planet including Shane Watson, Kevin Pietersen, Andre Russell, Brendon McCullum and Ab de Villiers among others.
Despite the star power of international superstars, PSL’s main unique selling point was the local core which included T20 superstars such as Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal and upcoming talents such as Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan and many more.
The tournament garnered a lot of attention in its initial seasons with the action captivating the cricket fans from across the globe. Fast forward to the ninth season of Pakistan’s premier T20 tournament, the PSL has somewhat lost its shine. While PSL was expected to reach new heights, it has stagnated somewhat, with the fever of the tournament gradually declining with every passing tournament.
The question arises, why has PSL recently lost its shine? Let’s have a look at some of the possible reasons that has led to this current predicament.
PSL finds itself in a limbo, stuck between the Indian Premier League (IPL) and three other leagues, SA20, ILT20 and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The February-March window for the PSL has held back its potential to grow as it is held just prior to the IPL and right after the three above mentioned leagues.
While there is no doubt that the international stars prefer to play in the cash-rich IPL, the PSL has struggled because of the emergence of new franchise leagues.
Star players prefer to play in the other leagues and then take a break to prepare themselves for a 2-month grueling IPL, which turns around their fortunes.
The PSL management will need to figure out a way to change the tournament’s window, which will enable it to attract top stars from across the world.
There was hope that many star players such as the likes of Trent Boult, Quinton de Kock and David Warner will register themselves for the PSL 9 draft but the hopes of the fans were crashed as the list of international players proved to be an underwhelming one.
In the initial seasons players such as Shane Watson, AB de Villiers and Brendon McCullum took part in the tournament which enhanced the reputation of the league but the recent entrants in the draft have been subpar to say the least. Players such as Kieron Pollard, Chris Jordan, Colin Munro and many more who are at the twilight of their career, have not been exactly what the PSL fans have been looking forward to.
The PSL management will need to figure out a way, which in my opinion is to either increase the value cap value of the picks or go for an auction model, in order to attract top names in world cricket.
This is a point that is very close to my heart. In every major sports event, the fans are at the forefront of the action. PSL and in particular, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has failed to realize it. The infrastructure at the four stadiums (that are active) has been deteriorating with every passing season, with no special attention paid by the PCB to improve it.
Furthermore, fans are expected to show up to these stadiums without any proper arrangements. They aren’t even allowed to take their water bottles to the stadium while the amenities at the stadium are also not up to the mark. No proper food arrangements, the toilets are mostly not usable, the seats that they sit are uncomfortable, if not broken.
The PCB should realize that the fans are major stakeholders in the game and once they refuse to come to the ground due to these reasons then Pakistan cricket will have to suffer from this loss.
The PSL has struggled for new ideas ever since its inception nine years ago. The league has failed to adapt with zero innovation over the past few seasons. Every other league has brought forward new ideas (good or bad doesn’t matter) in order to catch the attention of the fans.
The Big Bash League (BBL) has its players mic’d up during matches to get insights during the play. ILT20 innovated with giving WWE style title belts to the best performers. IPL brought new rule, the impact player, in order to change things up. As far as I remember, there have been no such innovations by the PSL after the first few seasons.
Some fresh ideas might help in attracting the fans and bring freshness to a stale league.
While the PSL management and the franchises have been reluctant to add new teams to the league, the existing six team tournament has lost the competitive edge. With a few teams heads and shoulders above the rest, the league has somewhat lost its charm.
Quetta Gladiators, which was one of the worst teams over the past few seasons have been a revelation this season, which has helped the tournament in a massive way. But, Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars have regressed drastically. A six-team tournament, which is in reality a four-team tournament has been a major let down for the league.
With not enough competitiveness over the course of the month-long tournament, the league has become boring.
The circus that we call Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is another major reason why the PSL has failed to reach greater heights. The musical chairs at the top of the PCB has led to uncertainty which has creeped into the PCB as an organization.
The volatility that has seen multiple chairmen come and go has not only affected Pakistan cricket but the PSL as well. How can you expect a tournament to be run without any hiccups when there is uncertainty at the top and no clear direction?
In order to make PSL one of the top brands in world cricket, the PCB will need to sort its stuff out and focus on improving the standard of the PSL.
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