Sethi sheds light on declining fans interest

He also touched on the challenges faced by the HBL PSL

KARACHI:

Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi has expressed concerns over the declining interest in Pakistan cricket, attributing the waning fan support to the national team's poor performances and ongoing struggles within the cricketing community.

Sethi also touched on the challenges faced by the Pakistan Super League (PSL), especially in terms of timing conflicts with the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the impact of the team's current form on fan engagement.

In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, Sethi discussed the complications arising from the shifting PSL schedule, explaining that the tournament had to be rescheduled due to ICC Champions Trophy happening in February-March window, which prevented it from being held in its usual February window. As a result, the league will now take place in April, overlapping with the IPL.

"The timing is tricky, and it creates complications for us," Sethi shared.

He further mentioned that while the league could face challenges in attracting top international players due to the overlap, there is still a large pool of talent to choose from.

"Players will come. It's a big world, and there's always talent available," he said, although he admitted that top players might be hard to get.

Sethi also pointed to the team's poor performance as a significant factor contributing to the public's growing disinterest in cricket. He acknowledged that fans were upset with some of the senior players, which had led to a lack of enthusiasm for both the national team and PSL matches.

"Our team's performance is very weak, and that's reflected in the atmosphere surrounding cricket in the country. Sponsors are becoming hesitant, and some are even refraining from endorsing players because they know the public is upset," Sethi said.

Despite these concerns, he remains hopeful about the future of PSL, noting that it has been successful in many ways and still holds significant commercial potential. However, he cautioned that going forward, these issues need to be addressed to keep fans engaged and invested in the sport.

IPL vs PSL

He shared his thoughts on the possibility of a showdown between the champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL).

While acknowledging the political and security challenges that currently exist between India and Pakistan, Sethi expressed optimism for the future when such a competition could be a reality.

Sethi explained, "If the situation improves in the future, I think there should be a team of IPL champions and a PSL champion."

He emphasized that although the political climate between the two countries makes this difficult at the moment, there is hope for a time when the two leagues could come together for an exciting match-up.

"If not in our own country, we can play in another country. Everyone wants to see India and Pakistan play against each other, whether in India or Pakistan," he said.

Sethi also discussed the dream of having Indian players participate in the HBL PSL and Pakistani players play in the IPL, something that he believes every cricketer aspires to.

"It is our dream because, of course, India and Pakistan produce the best talent in the world. There is no doubt about it," he said. However, he acknowledged the current limitations: "But will it be possible in the near future? I don't see it happening soon," he added.