PSL — a great opportunity beckons

PCB deserves credit for finally being able to kick-start a competition that has been in the offing for years

The opening ceremony of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) exceeded expectations as a sensational fireworks display and some uplifting performances provided the kind of start the league needed to make a good first impression. The much-maligned Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and PSL officials deserve credit for finally being able to kick-start a competition that has been in the offing for years, but hit one stumbling block after the other. Notwithstanding the one-sided opening match that followed between Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators, we hope that the PSL will provide the kind of fillip to Pakistan cricket that it has long needed. In the days ahead, the PSL think tank would need to focus on improving the quality of the pitches as the action on the field will eventually dictate the success of the tournament. While the turnout for the first day was almost 75 per cent of the Dubai International Stadium, this momentum must be sustained and improved upon in the days to come. The spectators must be provided with all the comfort, something which has historically lacked in PCB-organised events.

The value of the PSL to Pakistan cricket will truly materialise when young Pakistani players grab the golden opportunity they have been presented with and improve their skill set by interacting and observing from close quarters the work ethic and skills of some of the biggest stars in the game. Players like Chris Gayle, Shane Watson and Kevin Pietersen can prove to be real inspirations for their younger Pakistani teammates. There was a time when Pakistan had arguably the best Twenty20 team in the world. However, the national team soon started lagging behind the other nations as players from around the world started honing their skills in various Twenty20 leagues. With the PCB unable to start its own league, the skill set of our newly emerging players remained stagnant. The PSL provides the ideal stage for Pakistan cricket to hone new talent and provide domestic cricketers with some much-need financial security. We wish it success in its all-important first edition.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6^th, 2016.

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