A COVID-disrupted Pakistan Super League season came to a fitting climax on Thursday night in Abu Dhabi with Multan Sultans, who looked down and out halfway through the tournament, clinching their maiden title. This year’s edition seemed all but over in March when Covid-19 cases in the tournament’s bio-secure bubble in Karachi saw the tournament postponed with 14 of 34 matches played. However, with so much at stake — the PSL being the Pakistan Cricket Board’s flagship event — the season had to be completed. After a mad scramble to find a window in a packed calendar, the PCB finally found some space in June with the rest of the tournament being shifted to the UAE after the NCOC didn’t give clearance to resume it in Pakistan. That brought logistical concerns and further uncertainty with players, broadcast crew and officials flying in from almost every part of the world and needing to quarantine. But once the tournament resumed, there was no looking back. Multan certainly didn’t, in a remarkable turnaround. Having won just one match in five in Karachi, they won four out of five in Abu Dhabi to finish second in the league stage before advancing to the final where they brushed aside Peshawar Zalmi.

After the Karachi fiasco, where there were multiple reports of breaches in the bio-secure bubble, the PCB needs to be lauded for ensuring there were no such mishaps in Abu Dhabi. Having been in the shadow of the Indian Premier League for years, this year’s PSL is giving its much wealthier counterpart a blueprint on how to conclude a virus-hit season successfully. The only downside to playing in Abu Dhabi was that the PSL games were played in empty stadiums. But bringing in crowds wouldn’t have been possible even if the PSL had resumed in Pakistan. However, as the vaccination drive picks up, there is hope that fans will be able to see their stars in action when the next edition of the country’s biggest cricket tournament comes along.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2021