The answer to this question is unequivocally yes!!! I visited Pakistan last year on the invitation of a good friend to watch the Pindi Test Match, to meet a few people at the PCB, and to attend the PSL Draft. At that draft I had a conversation with the Chairman of the PCB about the economic potential of domestic cricket. FYI, this is something I've been pushing in different centers of power for more than a decade. The Chairman's response was initially one of interest but then quickly pivoted by saying, how is it possible for Pakistan to find value in domestic cricket when we are a poor country. The Chairman I have to say seemed oblivious to the creation of the Pakistan Super League and the revenue it generates.
Before the PSL came into existence, International Cricket in Pakistan was generating $15m. The latter is a number quoted by someone who was involved in creating the PSL. The PSL on the other hand generates upwards of $50m despite the fact that it has never been played consistently in Pakistan and operates in a cumbersome environment. What is that environment? The people who operate Cricket in Pakistan have a narrow vision. Even today, no one either at PCB Level or Franchise Level can see that we are only touching the surface of the PSL economic potential. I suspect that will continue. But before the PSL ever began I had shared with someone of some influence a different model.
I was born and raised in the United States and before I cared about cricket, I loved the NFL, NBA, and MLB. I actually thought cricket was pretty dumb. But as I started to travel to Pakistan more often and actually played the game, I developed an unparalleled passion for it. Years later I went on to work for T20 Franchises and now I actually teach a course at a prominent university in New York about Cricket Analytics. And so, my view of cricket and in particular domestic cricket wasn't shaped by traditional cricket scheduling. When these T20 Leagues started to find traction, I maintained that belief that Leagues are far more valuable than tournaments. The IPL is a tournament, it begins and ends. The PSL is a tournament, it begins, it ends, and it is forgotten. The English Premier League on the other hand is a league that essentially operates 365 days a year. Although a success and valuable the PSL and its concept could have been so much more. So what is the answer? Can domestic cricket make money?
Before you can build Domestic Cricket we have to change our mindset. The PCB released several advertisements today for the upcoming National T20 Competition. In one of those clips Sarfraz Ahmed is talking about the National T20 Competition as an opportunity to PRACTICE prior to the World Cup. Ahmed's view of the National T20 Competition is in line with how we view Domestic Cricket. We view Domestic Cricket as a platform to practice cricket and a by-product of that is player development. We need to change that mindset. Domestic Cricket is not a platform to just develop players and practice for international assignments. If instead Domestic Cricket was a product marketed in a similar way to the PSL, it would immediately become far more meaningful and attractive to the Fans, Corporate Pakistan, and the Players. I said this to someone on my visit to Pakistan and I will say it again, if the PCB doesn't care about Domestic Cricket than why should the Fans, the Players, or Corporate Pakistan. Low and behold they generally don't. So what is the way forward?
I want to begin by addressing the way forward by sharing what I said to the Chairman of the PCB in an email. In that email I had mentioned several concepts that could change is elitist or warped view of Domestic Cricket in Pakistan. One, Dharavi, the largest slum in the world is home to an informal economy of over $1B. Two, Maraiana Mazzucato an economist defined value creation as, "created by different actors in the economy when they come together in productive ways to create new types of goods and services - each actor adding time and effort." Furthermore unlike most economists, Mazzucato believes that the job of government doesn't exist to fix market failures, instead it exists to co-create and shape markets. Three, I shared the example of the PSL but also the ABN Amro/RBS/Faysal Bank T20. Nothing illustrated the potential of Pakistan Cricket more than the 2009 Domestic T20 Final, where people were watching Sialkot vs Karachi from the top of the National Stadium in Karachi. Despite its growth, even the PSL has never captured that type of intensity and passion for the game of cricket. Before we can put in place a renewed emphasis on Domestic Cricket, we actually have to be believe that there exists an economy that can not only support it, but that we can create such an economy.
Our next step would have to be more political. Let me say here that I am supporter of Imran Khan. I believe that he is honest and genuinely patriotic which is something that the vast majority of our leaders are not. That said, like any human being he is fallible. Forcing a structure of 6 Regional Teams based on the Australian model was not only wrong, but it demonstrated a lack of knowledge about the game in Pakistan, the game in Australia, and where the game is headed. Everyday this current structure persists is a day lost in the development and economic growth of our domestic cricket structure.
The first part that we need to deconstruct is the existence of the 6 Regional Teams. Apart from the Prime Minister I don't think you will find one person in Pakistan inside or outside the sphere of cricket who identifies with Northers or any of these regions. Like people of all nations, we identify with our cities, our towns, and our villages. It is in my opinion impossible to generate interest within the sphere of this current model. If we want to fix our domestic cricket it needs to change again. I say this, even though I believe the quality of domestic cricket today is far better than it was before this current administration. So what does the right structure look like?
My approach to Domestic Cricket would not be dissimilar to what we see in the EPL, the NBA, NFL, and MLB. I tend to think that we can learn something from each of these leagues. I believe to begin we should have 24 City Based Cricket Associations split up into three divisions with promotion and relegation. The First Division should include, Quetta, Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Multan, and Sialkot. The Second Division will include, Hyderabad.......
Next Domestic Cricket in Pakistan would operate over a period of 9-10 months leaving 2-3 months for the players to rest, unwind, and improve themselves individually. It would include multiple competitions that function simultaneously on a home and away basis. I will share a few examples.
1. Quaid e Azam Trophy (4-Day Cricket) (14 Games)
2. 50 Over League (14 Games)
3. 50 Over Cup (32 Teams, Maximum of 5 Games)
4. PSL
5. Domestic T20 League
6. T10 Cup (More than 32 Teams, Maximum 7 Games)
The structure is not limited to what I have presented. This is only an example.
What does the schedule look like? I won't share that here.
The Cricket Economy
Cricket can drive economic growth. How? In the United States, Professional Sports Franchises are no longer just sports teams. They are a hub of economic activity and growth. What does that mean? It means that NBA Teams are Real Estate, Data/Analytics, Venture Capital, Construction, Event Management, eSports, Marketing, and Innovation companies. They attract a center space within their respective communities and engage with them throughout the year.
The purpose of our Domestic System shouldn't be to develop players or practice. The purpose of our Domestic System should be to create an cricket ecosystem that yes develops elite cricketers but more than that develops the best Coaches, Analysts, Physios, Doctors, Lawyers, Executives, and Entrepreneurs that attract interest from the community at large. How do you make this happen?
There is only one way to make this happen. There needs be active engagement from all levels initiated by the PCB. That active engagement must include the Government of Pakistan, Local Government, the Business Community, Tech Entrepreneurs(Local and Foreign), Corporate Pakistan, the Fans, the Media, and of course the Players.
Now the question is where do we stand with International Cricket. I believe that International Cricket should align with Domestic Cricket not vice versa. Pakistan has already been isolated. Not only do we not play the types of series we want to abroad, we also don't get to play high quality bilateral series at home. That is a reality that is not going away. The alternative is to one, create a best in class system that doesn't exist in any cricket country. Two, to have a clear vision for international cricket. That vision must be born in reality.
The IPL and the Economics of Indian Cricket have changed cricket forever. International Cricket is no longer a continuous flow of bilateral series. Within the Cricket Calendar the IPL in the eyes of the Players, Sponsors, and Broadcasters is no less than a World Cup if not more. Not only does it have one window, the chronic instability in India means that it has multiple windows. The 2nd Window is the Indian Bilateral Schedule. As much money as BCCI makes from the IPL, it continues to make a lot of money from Bilateral Series. The 3rd and 4th Windows are the English and Australian Summers. The 5th Window is an ICC Event which when it is scheduled takes precedence. These five windows leave very little to no room for any other series of consequence. Certainly there exists no coherent international schedule. Countries like Sri Lanka, South Africa, and West Indies exist only to produce players for the IPL and to put the 'World' in World Cup. Pakistan's only function in international cricket is play a token game against India at an ICC event so Star can justify its rights fee. Thankfully Pakistan has options.
One, in order for Pakistan to build a strong International Team in all formats, we must give players the opportunity to participate in a structured schedule. At the moment there are random 2 Test Series and a few T20s. The structure of an International Season for Pakistan should be playing 2 Full Home Series and 2 Full Away Series every year. This includes a baseline structure of 3 Tests and 3 ODIs. Hence, Pakistan will not participate in any series whereby it doesn't play 3 Tests and 3 ODIs.
Two, I am not a hawk, but Pakistan should not play a group game against India in any ICC event. India for almost 15 years now has tried to an extent successfully to isolate Pakistan. By doing so they have diminished the game and the context of ICC events such as the WTC. The ICC can't force India to play Pakistan at any venue. Yet the ICC is able to put India and Pakistan in the same group for every ICC event. I don't believe there is an example to the contrary. Where India has power over the entire cricket schedule, they are unable to force the ICC to put Pakistan in a different group. For there to be any shift in the inequality in international cricket the ICC, Star, Indian Sponsors, and Advertisers must suffer. Without getting into the weeds legally, I believe the Government of Pakistan should provide a mandate not at this World Cup but for future World Cups. I suspect the rights fee paid by Star will go down.
Finally, I believe that Pakistan should act as a genuine conduit to the grow the game of cricket. For example, Pakistan should be playing games North America every year. Where the BCCI is reactive the PCB needs to be proactive. India's brief foray into Florida was a reaction to the CPL. Let's not forget that the IPL wasn't an act of entrepreneurship. It was a reaction to the now defunct ICL. These decisions if made and pursued collectively can give Pakistan Cricket the leverage it has lost due to years of neglect, bad governance, and sheer incompetence. The PCB is on the clock.
