PSL all set to explode into action today

Published February 4, 2016
DUBAI: Captains of four franchises (from L) Quetta Gladiators’ Sarfraz Ahmed, Azhar Ali of Lahore Qalandars, Karachi Kings’ Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi of Peshawar Zalmi pose with the tournament trophy at the unveiling ceremony on Wednesday. Also seen are Wasim Akram and PSL commissioner Najam Sethi.—courtesy PCB
DUBAI: Captains of four franchises (from L) Quetta Gladiators’ Sarfraz Ahmed, Azhar Ali of Lahore Qalandars, Karachi Kings’ Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi of Peshawar Zalmi pose with the tournament trophy at the unveiling ceremony on Wednesday. Also seen are Wasim Akram and PSL commissioner Najam Sethi.—courtesy PCB
DUBAI: Captains of four franchises (from L) Quetta Gladiators’ Sarfraz Ahmed, Azhar Ali of Lahore Qalandars, Karachi Kings’ Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi of Peshawar Zalmi pose with the tournament trophy at the unveiling ceremony on Wednesday. Also seen are Wasim Akram and PSL commissioner Najam Sethi.—courtesy PCB
DUBAI: Captains of four franchises (from L) Quetta Gladiators’ Sarfraz Ahmed, Azhar Ali of Lahore Qalandars, Karachi Kings’ Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi of Peshawar Zalmi pose with the tournament trophy at the unveiling ceremony on Wednesday. Also seen are Wasim Akram and PSL commissioner Najam Sethi.—courtesy PCB

DUBAI: Pakistan is set to launch its first franchise-based Twenty20 league in the UAE on Thursday as the cash-strapped Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) seeks to boost revenues and reverse the national team’s slide in the game’s shortest format.

The long-awaited first edition of the Pakistan Super League follows two previous attempts that fell through over a lack of sponsorship and the suspension of international cricket at home in the wake of a militant attack on the Sri Lankan team almost seven years ago.

With Pakistan’s once-dominant Twenty20 side sliding to a lowly seventh place in world rankings following a their recent series loss against New Zealand, organisers are keen for local talent to hone their skills alongside the world’s best players including Chris Gayle, Kevin Pietersen and Shane Watson.

Featuring 69 local and 29 foreign stars, the five-team, 24-match league will be held From February 4-23 across two stadiums in Sharjah and Dubai — Pakistan’s “home away from home” since the 2009 terror attack.

The teams were sold to private consortiums for a sum of $93 million across 10 years, with $200,000 salaries for top-tier players and relatively handsome paydays for middle-tier and emerging talent.

The winning side, meanwhile, will bring home $1 million.

In the inaugural match, Islamabad United, led by Pakistan’s Test skipper Misbah-ul Haq, will take on Sarfraz Ahmed-led Quetta Gladiators.

Former captain and legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram said the league was vital for Pakistan to match the fast-rising standards of other Twenty20 teams.

“Look at where Indian cricket is now because of the Indian Premier League, “he said, referring to the brash, glitzy tournament first launched in 2008 whose model has been emulated by other leading teams including Australia and the West Indies.

“By rubbing shoulders, by competing against and by sharing the dressing rooms with high profile players all the Indian players have benefitted and I envisage the same in the PSL,” added Wasim.

“We have been struggling to match other teams,” agreed Shoaib Malik, a former captain who was part of Pakistan team which lost a Twenty20 series in New Zealand 2-1 last month.

“The PSL provides a launching pad for the future generation of players as four emerging players in each team will learn a lot which is good for the future of Pakistan cricket,” added Malik, who is the captain of the Karachi Kings side.

Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi, who will lead the Peshawar Zalmi side at the event, echoed Malik’s views.

“This will be a great platform for young players to showcase their talent at a global stage,” he said at the trophy unveiling ceremony on Wednesday.

Azhar Ali, Pakistan’s One-day International captain who will skipper the Lahore Qalandars outfit, said the PSL provided emerging players the opportunity to prepare for the upcoming World Twenty20.

“Our young players have a chance to use this opportunity and stake a claim for places in the World Twenty20 [which starts in India next month],” he said on Wednesday.

Not everyone is as optimistic, though, with organisers privately admitting that in order to be viable the tournament will need to return to Pakistan for greater gate and TV revenues, while rampant piracy puts a question mark over the profitability of kit merchandising.

With lower salary caps than leagues elsewhere, it will also need to steer clear of the ever-present threat of fixing that has hit its predecessor leagues in India and Bangladesh, resulting in bans for the likes of international stars Shanthakumaran Sreesanth of India and Mohammad Ashraful of Bangladesh.

But the PSL got a ringing endorsement from West Indian legend Sir Vivian Richards.

“This is an ideal opportunity for Pakistani youngsters to prove their mettle,” Richards, who is an advisor for the Gladiators, was quoted as saying by the Khaleej Times.

“Pakistan players have always had an aggressive mindset and this is an opportunity for them to entertain fans with this brand of cricket.”

Schedule (all times PST)

Feb 4: Islamabad United vs Quetta Gladiators (Dubai, 9:00pm).

Feb 5: Karachi Kings vs Lahore Qalandars (Dubai, 4:00pm); Peshawar Zalmi vs Islamabad United (Dubai, 9:00pm).

Feb 6: Quetta Gladiators vs Karachi Kings (Dubai, 4:00pm); Lahore Qalandars vs Peshawar Zalmi (Dubai, 9:00pm).

Feb 7: Islamabad United vs Karachi Kings (Dubai, 4:00pm); Quetta Gladiators vs Peshawar Zalmi (Dubai, 9:00pm).

Feb 8: Lahore Qalandars vs Quetta Gladiators (Dubai, 9:00pm).

Feb 10: Islamabad United vs Lahore Qalandars (Sharjah, 9:00pm).

Feb 11: Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi (Sharjah, 4:00pm); Islamabad United vs Quetta Gladiators (Sharjah, 9:00pm).

Feb 12: Karachi Kings vs Lahore Qalandars (Sharjah, 4:00pm); Islamabad United vs Peshawar Zalmi (Sharjah, 9:00pm).

Feb 13: Karachi Kings vs Quetta Gladiators (Sharjah, 4:00pm); Lahore Qalandars vs Peshawar Zalmi (Sharjah, 9:00pm).

Feb 14: Islamabad United vs Karachi Kings (Sharjah, 4:00pm); Quetta Gladiators vs Peshawar Zalmi (Sharjah, 9:00pm).

Feb 16: Lahore Qalandars vs Quetta Gladiators (Dubai, 9:00pm).

Feb 17: Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi (Dubai, 4:00pm); Islamabad United vs Lahore Qalandars (Dubai, 9:00pm).

Feb 19: First playoff — first place vs second place (Dubai, 9:00pm).

Feb 20: Second playoff — third place vs fourth place (Dubai, 9:00pm).

Feb 21: Third 3rd playoff — second playoff winners vs first playoff losers (Dubai, 9:00pm).

Feb 23: Final (Dubai, 9:00pm).

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2016

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