League of ‘ageing stars’ cannot be compared with PSL: Sethi
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Kumar Sangakarra smacked a total of six fours and seven huge sixes in blistering 86 off 43 balls as the Gemini Arabians piled up 234 runs in the opening encounter of the Masters Champions League (MCL) against Libra Legends on Thursday in UAE.
The trademark pick up shot over midwicket and the picture-perfect cover drives were all on display as commentators argued why the 38-year-old Sangakkara had quit international cricket so soon.
But they soon conceded that the Sri Lankan great had a bit of an advantage facing up to bowlers who, in some cases, had last played an international match five years ago. The Arabians beat the legends by 78 runs in the end and the lopsided battles such Thursday's match and near empty stands quickly raised fears for the MCL's long-term viability.
It also provided the organisers of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), also being held in the UAE, with a few lessons as league chairman Najam Sethi and co look to launch the tournament on February 4.
The PSL and MCL play on the same day on seven occasions, but according to Sethi, the two league couldn't be compared as was evident by the dismal crowd turnout on Thursday.
“You can't compare a league of aging “has beens” like MCL with a league of today's cricket stars like PSL,” Sethi told Dawn.
On Friday, Abu Dhabi newspaper The National reported that “the attendance was little more than the sort that would usually come to watch Test cricket at this ground. It was that bad.” But former PCB chairman, Sethi, is confident PSL will attract much bigger numbers.
“A lot of Pakistanis will come to watch our games. Ticket sales are picking up briskly and all PSL signals are green.”
Sethi said television rights would be the PSL’s biggest revenue source, though, while the MCL organisers have also predicted that 60-70 per cent of their income would eventually come from subcontinent broadcast rights.
As the opening day of the MCL suggested it will be a challenge for both leagues to draw in large crowds and become the tournament of choice for the fans in the Emirates.
The PSL kicks off on February 4 with Islamabad United taking on Quetta Gladiators in Dubai.
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Comments (52) Closed
Jan 29, 2016 08:21pm
MCL always looked like a failure to me. No one wants to watch a League of retired cricketers play a t20 tournament. A three match series like the one in America would have been better. Young, current, well trained and inform players will always trump a league full of rusty players
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Jan 29, 2016 08:24pm
Both the leagues will be dismal flops.
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Jan 29, 2016 08:27pm
Yes it cannot be compared with PSL - it's way ahead of it.
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Jan 29, 2016 08:35pm
there are batsman like sangakara in mcl who is better than any batsman taking part in psl and he didn't retired long back
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Jan 29, 2016 08:36pm
players at mcl are getting more money than that at psl
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Jan 29, 2016 08:39pm
If PCB is so confident why does it not publish the Amount of Advance Ticket Sales?
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Jan 29, 2016 08:43pm
@Indiana Janardhan Happy for them too. As both leagues are conducted by Pakistanis. But sure Indians will be anxious to grab the credit if this one too.
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Jan 29, 2016 08:46pm
@ayush Money no money; Pak cricket is still surviving and producing satisfactory results. If money was everything then I hope ndia never had lost humiliatingly lost to Australia in ODIs cause BCCI would have bought the 'victory'. But, sad this ain'the case.
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Jan 29, 2016 08:51pm
I don't mind listening to old players but no way I would like see them actually playing a game.
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Jan 29, 2016 08:54pm
psl and mcl will be big flop
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Jan 29, 2016 09:04pm
The problem with Pakistan is that they try to copy everything India does. IPL like tournament to be successful financially requires time - you don't get instant returns. For IPL the break-even was 3 years (correct me if I am wrong). Even if PSL is success by their standards, for PSL the break-even will be even longer. Can they sustain it financially that long?
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Jan 29, 2016 09:06pm
Well these two leagues cannot be compared.
MCL : Had it been held in any other country(even in Pak), It would have the same response.
PSL: Though, I believe will have a better response but still if it is held in Pakistan it will have jam packed stadium.
Similarly for any other league like BBL, IPL they won`t be as successful as in their respective countries.
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Jan 29, 2016 09:30pm
Has beens? The playing 11 of Arabians (IMO) has enough quality to beat quite a few PSL franchises.
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Jan 29, 2016 09:49pm
@ Ajay..IPL was even copied, as it wasn't the first t20 league, but they added their twist and made it successful. I think Pakistan WILL do the same inshallah. And PCB never said PSL will be booming in revenue and profits from the get-go, they said it will take 2-3 years, and I'm sure it will eventually become the second biggest t20 league after IPL, and there is no harm in admitting that. We just want PSL to be competitive and successful. If we can host PSL in Pakistan, then it will be an instant hit!!
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Jan 29, 2016 10:21pm
PSL will rock.indians are jealousing from PSL.....
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Jan 29, 2016 10:25pm
Pakistan zindabad
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Jan 29, 2016 10:26pm
@Ajay
The problem with Indians is that everything they do they think they had a copyright on this since time immemorial. T20 leagues are a phenomenon world over, and the Indians did not invent T20. It goes on in our streets in various flavours. Besides, T20 was probably played in England before India "copied" it. Likewise, premier leagues which the IPL "copied" certainly existed before cricket.
Therefore, if the PCB is also hosting a league of its own, it certainly doesn't give you an invitation to deliver a lecture on patent law.
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Jan 29, 2016 10:29pm
Good luck, but time will tell.
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Jan 29, 2016 10:39pm
@Ajay,dude,we in pakistan playing 8 overs ,10 overs and 20 over since the inception of the cricket in pakistan.No offense to any of my great Indian friends,but people like you who doesn't know anything always spit venom, I have seen all your cricket,since the era of gavaskar till kohli ,you are shouting with your lungs because dillusional and I know you will still cry and brag about your indian team.But the fact of the matter ,you have the board which is the most corrupt to its core
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Jan 29, 2016 10:42pm
And you want me to pay top gate money and watch few unknown country boys play?
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Jan 29, 2016 10:47pm
@Atif
Question is not about patent but about the ability to perform. Pakistan does demand equal treatment as India and copies what Indian does.
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Jan 29, 2016 10:47pm
Being a Pakistani cricket fan, I want to see Lahore v Quetta, Karachi v Peshawar. I want to see healthy rivalries between our major cities. Competition leads to quality. PSL will be a success, and us Pakistanis will make it a success!
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Jan 29, 2016 10:56pm
@Ali Khan spot on and a couple of more points.
1: Remember the 6 over double wicket tournament Pakistan started. It was big hit with Afridi, Chris Cairns, Steve Waught etc. in, that was like 20 years back I think.
2: India doesn't want anyone to progress. They banned Indian players to participate in BPL, Carribean league, Sri lankan league etc. Clearly tells they don't want others to succeed.
3: Finally, BCCI being richest board and owner of ICC, Indians think they have responsibility now to poke nose into everything.
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Jan 29, 2016 11:05pm
Of course not. Sangakarra, ponting, sehwag are no bodies compared to new unkown kids from remore corners of country featuring in PSL
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Jan 29, 2016 11:06pm
It would have been good planning by ICC instead of holding MCL in competition with PSL, they should have held cooperation with Pakistan and should have inserted the MCL matches in between the PSL matches with discounted tickets...UAE crowds are dominated by Pakistan...Good luck PSL you have a very good future...Inshahallah
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Jan 29, 2016 11:11pm
@Pak Patriot You are absolutely right. Money has not much to do with talent production. But it has lot to do with nourishing and enriching talent. Take example of West Indies or for that matter Pakistan.
Because of less facilities and less pay, the current crop of so called cricket stars in Pakistan compare their talent with Pakistans own stars about decade ago.
the less lucrative the contract or pay even talented players will choose other professions eventually like WI players who may have been great at cricket choose NBA basketball instead.So yes Pakistan cricket has not been finished yet but the decay is happening for sure. Now compare it to interest of younger generation in cricket in India increasing because IPL promises loads of fame and money even if not selected for country. So dont be under illusion Pakistan cricket is not getting affected due to less money.It is and in a decade it will be evident unless money flows in from somewhere (BCCI obliges for a tour).
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Jan 29, 2016 11:14pm
@awais... Good logical reasoning. I m an Indian, very patriotic but I agree with you. Over the period of time, with hands on experience a league can be made successful.
@Rashid.....yes your reasoning is also so true, in India some IPL matches had less crowd and costly stands were not filled at all when low rung teams or lower birth teams played. Why would hard earned money be spent on such matches.
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Jan 29, 2016 11:19pm
Until now MCL has not produced any thrilling match. But too early to call. Maybe PSL does prove some good cricket. Let us wait and see. Maybe Pakistan finds much needed Talent. Too many Maybes with PSL but you never know! PSL might be a surprise package.
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Jan 29, 2016 11:48pm
@Ajay - "The problem with Pakistan is that they try to copy everything India does."
The Champion's Trophy Hockey tournament was Pakistan's brainchild conceived by Noor Khan in 1978. On the other hand, IPL was copied from Barcley's Premier Football League. Please tell me what idea India came up with in sports that wasn't copied from someone else?
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Jan 29, 2016 11:51pm
MCL is a ploy to fail PSL by the Indian investors
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Jan 29, 2016 11:55pm
@Pak Patriot. Not sure if you have actually seen the matches between India and Australia where almost all the ODI's went to the wire and even the T20s are well contested between the sides.
On the other hand Pakistan were literally outplayed in two T20 and the Kiwis had better of Pakistan in one ODI.
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Jan 30, 2016 12:10am
Their is all Indian investment behind MCL. BCCI is trying its level best to fail PSL by offering lucrative deals to MCL players. PCB should air this fact to get maximum backing from the Pakistanis also all Pakistan players playing MCL should boycott the league
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Jan 30, 2016 01:54am
Mr. Sethi, you are concentrating too much on PSL , look what is happening to the national team. It has gone from bad to the worst.
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Jan 30, 2016 02:48am
@BAHU
Some Indians are obviously gutted and jealous of PSL, unleashing their tantrum over here. Never mind, PSL will come out to be the most successful T20 tournament to be seen within years. Pakistanis know the art of surviving and going beyond that to a successes.
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Jan 30, 2016 03:17am
Good luck, Sethi sahib and PSL.
Pakistan will get best crowds only when the matches are played in Pakistan at different venues. Otherwise, the law of diminishing returns of Economics will apply. Unless the match admissions are free of charge, the people (spectators) will have limited capacity (spare money) to spend, and yet again, they find difficulty in finding time regularly to watch matches (- who has so much spare time?)
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Jan 30, 2016 04:37am
It seems like our Indian friends are owning the MCL, which is being organised by a Pakistani, and our Pakistani friends are not willing to back their own league. This is shameful even for Pakistani standards.
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Jan 30, 2016 04:56am
True. I don't see how MCL investors will make any money out of it.
PSL on the other hand should have IPL and BBL as its benchmark if it truly wants to attract the best talent across the world.
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Jan 30, 2016 07:58am
@Atif Surely to deliver lecture on patent or other we only deliver to quality audience
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Jan 30, 2016 08:06am
@Mark best of luck let's talk after 3 yrs
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Jan 30, 2016 09:38am
I Smell weakness in PSL.
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Jan 30, 2016 09:53am
Let's see what happens to the PSL. Frankly, Najam Sethi should not be speaking slightly of MCL because all know who's who in the league of players. Salams
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Jan 30, 2016 10:12am
for some strange reason, I can trust this dude something is amiss
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Jan 30, 2016 10:17am
Reading the comments above about MCL as if it was Indian owned league, I am amused at the ignorance of a few who do not know that the Co-Chairman of MCL is Mr. Zafar Shah, owner & Chairman of Grand Midwest Group of Hotels who also happens to be a Pakistani. You all can google and wiki him if you want.
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Jan 30, 2016 10:22am
But MCL & PCL financial are coparable.. in fact MCL a shade better..
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Jan 30, 2016 11:44am
I just had a thought that in the minds of some cricketers they wouldn't put their names forward in case they were blacklisted (unofficially) by the IPL franchises. They should have held the PSL after the IPL.
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Jan 30, 2016 02:10pm
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery". Best of luck to PSL, they sure need a heapful.
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Jan 30, 2016 02:19pm
By this comment, Sethi showing some fear in his mind. he is not capable for organising PSL. any other person should take command.
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Jan 30, 2016 02:27pm
yeah well so is your face, get off my screen !!!
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Jan 30, 2016 03:52pm
@malik paka mat, MCL is owned by a Pakistani.
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Jan 30, 2016 06:28pm
@Ayush I think Sobers and Richards are better than Sangakara. They have not retired too long ago as well. Wondering if they are also playing MCL
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Jan 30, 2016 08:13pm
All the best to Pakistan Cricket League. The idea is that this tournament will help the Pakistani players to be a ready form for the upcoming World Cup in India.
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Jan 31, 2016 11:00am
Finger crossed yet wait for First session of MSL and PSL to be over then all speculation and comparison and box office cash collection would be revealed so lets wait and see any way good luck PSL.
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