By all standards the inaugural Pakistan Super League (PSL), organised in the UAE with the advice and assistance of foreign consultants, contractors and advisors, was a resounding success. It can be termed in a positive way as the “mother of all leagues” as no other has had such a brilliant success. Congratulations to Najam Sethi and Shaharyar Khan, and all in PCB. May those editions to follow even surpass this one!

To express the sentiments of the Pakistan cricket fans who want THEIR league to be held on THEIR soil I quote from a news report: “‘I am very happy that we now have PSL, so everyone will see Pakistan players against the best in the world,’” said Ramiz, [who is originally from Islamabad but has lived and worked in the UAE for the past five years] one of many expats who have turned up in force for the double-header on the competition’s second day. Hopefully the PSL can one day be as big as the IPL — it will be good for all Pakistan. But I hope one day it can be played in Pakistan.”

Najam Sethi, chairman of the PSL, expressed similar sentiments. Before the tournament began he is reported to have said: “If we are successful in holding a league here [UAE], which creates a degree of excitement, if our security situation continues to improve, as it is improving by the day, I see no reason why we can’t persuade foreign players to play one match in Karachi and one match in Lahore next year. Then maybe in the third year, we could bring the whole league back to Pakistan. That is the short-term objective.”

There are lessons to learn from the inaugural PSL for future reference as PCB turns its attention to serious cricket

The league was a roaring success; security thanks to the efforts of the armed forces and others has improved so why only one match each in Karachi and Lahore out of 30 or so next year? Why not the entire event? Extra efforts are needed and to begin with the infrastructure in Pakistan for domestic events has to be improved. The stadia need revamping from gates, seats to the roofs. Come on gentlemen; let us get down to some serious work now that we have tasted success.

A point to be noted here is, did we in the PSL see the Pakistan players pitted against the “best in the world.” The purpose of domestic leagues is to give exposure and experience to international cricket and super stars to the host’s youngsters. That is how India developed their team through the IPL. PSL hardly had any who qualify as best in the world. Gayle was only a passenger and a shadow of himself; Kevin Pietersen is already a man out of international cricket having been sacked by the England and Wales Cricket Board and if you examine his history he is hardly a role model for the youngsters; Dwayne Bravo is not in the West Indies squad, Bopara is out of favour with the England selectors [and he was the most outstanding performer in PSL], Hodge at 41 is a player of the past; Shane Watson is on the brink of ending his career and has been in and out of the Australian team; Sangakarra, who has also retired, appeared briefly. Haddin has also retired. Sammy, Mushfiq, Shakib, Tamim, Mustafiz, Mohammad Nabi, Luke Wright and James Vince can be considered in the upper tiers. Shakib is the best all rounder in rankings though he did not come off well in the PSL. Ashar Zaidi’s main claim to fame is his performance in the BPL while the late entrant Azhar Mahmood a retired Pakistani all-rounder made a brief appearance.

Instead of the Pakistani youngsters benefitting from “sharing the dressing room” (whatever that expression means) it was the foreign players like Cameron Delport, Jim Allenby, Dawid Malan and Riki Wessels, and Sam Billings, a new England cap, who have never played cricket at the international level, who benefitted. These foreign players got valuable experience by rubbing shoulders with our icons like Misbah, Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan (difficult to rub shoulders with him). It was good to see Vivian Richards mentoring the Quetta team; but his mentoring failed with the misbehavior of Ahmed Shehzad. In all fairness to Shehzad, I must hasten to add that it was Wahab who was the guilty party as he let out some choice words once Ahmed Shehzad’s furniture was disturbed. If I had anything to do I would have enforced the “zero tolerance” and banned them from the rest of the event at least.

The opening ceremony was perhaps one of the most spectacular and lavish than any I have seen, be it Cricket World Cups, the FIFA World Cup or the Olympics. We are, of course, not concerned with the costs involved or all the nitty-gritty of balancing the pounds, shillings and pence. It must have been expensive. However, it was my wish and desire that it should have had a more Pakistani theme to it. We had three comperes one of whom was clearly a foreigner; and all three were reading their lines from what in television parlance we call “idiot cards”. It somehow seemed unnatural; the spontaneity was missing. The “entertainment” was mostly foreign.

In the fitness of things the organisers/consultants/event managers should have had folklore and dance representations from the provinces of Pakistan. As examples we could have had the Khattak dance from KPK, the Bhangra and Luddi and Jugni from Punjab, Damadam Mast Qalandar Lal Shahbaz Qalandar and Ho Jamalo from Sindh and the Dochapi and Hina dances from Balochistan; the ever-popular Dandia could have been thrown in for good measure. I am sure the Jamaican Band flown in from Kingston town is very popular but it is more suited to the Caribbean Premier League. This was the Pakistan Super League, which should and could have been staged in Pakistan, but because of force majeure had to be held off shore, and because of the ineptness and the laidback habits of the PCB managers and staff had to be given on contract to international consultants. I am confident that someone must have taken note and the next edition will be in Pakistan, and in any case more Pakistani.

It seems from the quoted remarks of the PSL chairman that it has been decided to hold the next edition also in the UAE (perhaps there is already an MoU to this effect with the Emirates Board) except for two matches, one in Lahore and one in Karachi. Just one thought on this: PSL is a domestic event; have it like a domestic super league with foreign players (max four in each team) and there should be no problem. In fact if you pay the likes of Gayle, Pietersen, Tait, Malan, Wessels, Allenby, Billings, Simmons, Bravo, Hodge, Chigumbura, Shakib, Tamim, Ajantha Mendis, Owais Shah, Ashar Zaidi, Azhar Mahmood, Vince and Badree and many other Zimbabweans, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis, Afghans, Irishmen, Scotsmen and West Indians the type of money you are giving them at the moment (or perhaps another 10 to 15 per cent) they would be more than happy to come. If Dean Jones can waltz in and out of Lahore at regular intervals; if foreign coaches and others can be part of the Pakistan squad then why cannot they? Put your high profile ambassadors on the job. The security is no more a problem thanks to Zarb-e-Azb; Pakistan is no longer insecure. It is safer than India, Britain, USA and Australia.

Also the television production teams from abroad will flock to Pakistan; as will the English, Australian, and South African commentators, one of whom is already practicing the East India Company type of Urdu. While still on the topic of commentary I have always advocated that it should also be in Urdu; and sensing some bias (and I am giving an example of feedback) it is felt that there should be representation on the commentary team from Quetta and Karachi. The Radio commentary on FM is in “Minglish” — Urdu mixed with English.

I think the matter of the chief selector being on the radio commentary panel was resolved once the Chairman PCB heard him, “was unhappy” (some reports even suggested that he was looking for a new chief selector and the current incumbent immediately took wing back to base at Lahore and announced the teams for the upcoming Asia Cup and the ICC World Twenty/20).

If held in Pakistan the franchised teams will be able to hold camps and not arrive for the event two days before the kickoff. The foreign coaches would be able to get to know their charges better rather than sit clueless like “the million dollar winner” coach of Lahore. The teams of both the seven star coaches, Paddy Upton and Mickey Arthur, fared poorly thus giving strength to my argument that these days the teams should not have coaches; and a retinue of a support staff of 12 or 14 is not required. They confuse the issue.

By the way there have been comments from some irate fans that the broadcasters must be told to call the Afghan all-rounder “Mohammad Nabi” and not just “Nabi” and also call Adnan Rasool either by his first name or full name and not just “Rasool.” The left arm bowler for example should be called Abdur Rehman and not just “Rehman.” I can go on … But I would have thought that at least the basics of broadcasting would be followed.

Now that the PSL is done and dusted, and we once again extend our congratulations to the PCB and Shahryar, and the PSL and Najam on a job well done. For a project of this magnitude there are bound to be teething problems; these must have been noted and set right. All said and done, it was a good show, nay a glittering gala. And by the look of things it seems to have been a financial success for the PSL and the franchises. There have not even been whispered complaints from any quarter. Not even a negative word or line from the 60 or so members of the media who I am informed were invited by the PSL. This in itself is testimony to the success of the extravaganza. Pakistan’s ties with the UAE were further strengthened by the playing of the UAE national anthem and the flying of its national flag along with that of Pakistan at the closing ceremony.

The perfect icing on the cake of PSL would have been had those in charge had invited all the former chairmen of the PCB (note that because of conflict of interest I am not including CEOs and secretaries) and also all the former Pakistan captains even if it was through Twitter, which seems to be in vogue these days.

The threat of the so called Masters Champions League posed no challenge or problem. It was hardly a hurdle. The MCL it seems ended with a whimper. In fact it was completely overshadowed and dulled by the sheen and shine of the PSL. I feel its future, given with the problems it has with the ICC, is hanging in the balance.

Back to serious cricket

Now from the fun and games of leagues to hard core and serious cricket like the Asia Cup and the ICC World Twenty/20. Pakistan’s selection woes continue. The original squads selected were amended even before the PSL ended. Who is selecting the teams is also not clear; is it the selection committee or the captain. One of the selected men let the cat out of the bag by thanking (through the media -- I wonder what happened to the guide regarding the interaction of players and officials with the media?) the captain for being in the squads!

Pakistan’s start In Asia Cup was inauspicious; they lost the opener to India. Their batting imploded on a tricky seaming pitch. India struggled initially against the fearsome and furious four of Pakistan — Sami, Irfan, Wahab and Amir but 83 was never going to be out of the reach of their batting powerhouse. Seeing the fiery pace of the quartet (reminiscent of the West Indian pace quartet of the 1970s and 80s) I am afraid that to blunt them the organisers will not prepare a seaming green top for another match involving Pakistan. UAE were overpowered with relative ease but Pakistan have to play out of their skins to make it to the finals and (who knows?) win the Cup.

Wayward ways

Shahid Afridi, the captain, seems to be confused both on and off the field. Before the Asia Cup he issued a statement that he was under pressure from his family seniors and juniors and friends to reconsider his decision to retire after the ICC World Twenty/20. I feel this was ill-timed and instead of going public with the desires of his kith and kin he should have confided in the PCB higher management. It seems Afridi still has a few projects including some charitable ones to complete. This is like Imran Khan who returned to international cricket to complete his hospital project after retiring in 1987 and finally called it a day after the World Cup win in 1992. Shaharyar Khan hit back with an even more ill-timed statement by saying that Afridi was appointed captain on the assurance that he will retire after the ICC event. It seems we are back to our wayward ways. Let the events finish and then sort out the differences — not during important cricket assignments please.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, March 6th, 2016