AndayWalaAllRounder
Tape Ball Regular
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2019
- Runs
- 426
Hey guys,
First time I attended the Pakistan National T20 Cup as a journo, and honestly it was a mixed experience. A few positives here and there, but overall it left me a bit disappointed, especially considering this is a major domestic tournament in a cricket-loving country like ours.
Starting with the ground and overall arrangements. All matches were played at Imran Khan Cricket Stadium, and to be very honest, it didn’t look like a venue that has been properly maintained over the years. The outfield in particular was in poor shape. The grass felt rough and sharp rather than soft, and you could clearly see players being hesitant while diving or sliding. That’s never a good sign. The pitch and soil conditions weren’t great either.
The lighting setup also didn’t inspire much confidence. The ring-style lights at the top of the stadium felt quite basic and not really up to international standards. Facilities in general were underwhelming. Internet connectivity was poor, there was no proper WiFi setup for journalists, and at times even basic things like getting bottled water around iftar became a hassle. That shouldn’t be happening at a national tournament. The frustrating part is that the venue has potential, but it clearly needs serious attention from both the PCB and local authorities.
As for the tournament organization, it was honestly quite poor. Communication between the PCB, ground staff, and journalists was almost non-existent at times. We were left waiting for hours for updates regarding the final, only to be told later that it had been postponed indefinitely. That kind of uncertainty is hard to justify at this level.
Now coming to the media side of things. No disrespect to anyone, especially senior journalists, but it was disappointing to see that most weren’t even watching the matches properly. Many would just show up for press conferences and ask very generic questions. There was very little discussion around actual performances, match situations, or emerging players. It felt more like certain individuals were there just to talk about their favorite players. From an outsider’s perspective, it did come across like there’s a bit of lobbying and bias involved, which is not a great look for the system.
Another thing that stood out was the absence of selectors. For a national-level tournament, you would expect national or at least regional selectors to be present regularly. But from what I observed, there were no visible appearances from the selectors I’m familiar with. Apart from spotting a few franchise-related officials here and there, there wasn’t much presence. It raises questions about how seriously performances in this tournament are being evaluated.
On the cricketing side, the most disappointing aspect for me was the lack of genuine fast bowling. Pakistan has always been known for producing quality pacers, but in this tournament, that element was largely missing. The only bowler who really caught my eye was Ihsanullah. He has good height, a sharp release, and decent pace. From what I saw, he looked like someone who could push into the higher speed brackets, but surprisingly he only featured in one match, or at least that’s the only time I saw him. I tried asking around about injuries or availability but didn’t get any clear answers.
Most of the other seamers were more in the medium pace category. The leading wicket-taker, Shahab Khan from Abbottabad, is a decent bowler but not someone you’d classify as genuinely quick. Similar case with a few others who reminded me of variations of Salman Mirza in terms of style. I was really hoping to see a few bowlers consistently hitting 140–145, but that just wasn’t the case. There were a couple of names like Rizwan Ullah who looked relatively quicker, and a youngster named Shoaib Akhtar showed some pace, but nothing that really stood out at that top level.
Batting-wise, there were definitely some positives. A number of young players showed good intent and potential. Names that stood out to me include Ali Razaq, who looks like he could develop into a proper all-rounder, along with Shehzad, Mohammad Faiq, Abdullah Fazal, Farhan Yousuf, Shahzaib Khan, and Saad Baig. Kamran Ghulam and Hassan Raza also impressed and, in my opinion, should be in contention at a higher level.
One youngster who really caught my attention was Hamza Zahoor. He looked quite compact, had a nice bat swing, and if I’m not mistaken, he also keeps wickets. Definitely someone to keep an eye on.
What was frustrating, though, was how some senior players were brought into knockout matches despite not being part of the earlier games, and then didn’t really contribute. Meanwhile, some youngsters who had been performing well didn’t get consistent opportunities. It felt like team management in certain cases was more focused on accommodating established names rather than backing in-form players.
I also had the chance to speak with a few players, both young and experienced. One thing that really stood out was how many of them are seriously considering moving abroad, particularly to the USA (As i asked them about USA lol), for better opportunities. I obviously won’t name anyone, but the sentiment was quite strong. A few of them were genuinely disheartened after not being picked for leagues like the PSL despite putting in solid performances domestically.
Anyway, that’s my overall experience. Heading back to the USA now, but I’ll be back in Pakistan soon for the PSL, so hopefully that’s a better organized and more professional experience.
First time I attended the Pakistan National T20 Cup as a journo, and honestly it was a mixed experience. A few positives here and there, but overall it left me a bit disappointed, especially considering this is a major domestic tournament in a cricket-loving country like ours.
Starting with the ground and overall arrangements. All matches were played at Imran Khan Cricket Stadium, and to be very honest, it didn’t look like a venue that has been properly maintained over the years. The outfield in particular was in poor shape. The grass felt rough and sharp rather than soft, and you could clearly see players being hesitant while diving or sliding. That’s never a good sign. The pitch and soil conditions weren’t great either.
The lighting setup also didn’t inspire much confidence. The ring-style lights at the top of the stadium felt quite basic and not really up to international standards. Facilities in general were underwhelming. Internet connectivity was poor, there was no proper WiFi setup for journalists, and at times even basic things like getting bottled water around iftar became a hassle. That shouldn’t be happening at a national tournament. The frustrating part is that the venue has potential, but it clearly needs serious attention from both the PCB and local authorities.
As for the tournament organization, it was honestly quite poor. Communication between the PCB, ground staff, and journalists was almost non-existent at times. We were left waiting for hours for updates regarding the final, only to be told later that it had been postponed indefinitely. That kind of uncertainty is hard to justify at this level.
Now coming to the media side of things. No disrespect to anyone, especially senior journalists, but it was disappointing to see that most weren’t even watching the matches properly. Many would just show up for press conferences and ask very generic questions. There was very little discussion around actual performances, match situations, or emerging players. It felt more like certain individuals were there just to talk about their favorite players. From an outsider’s perspective, it did come across like there’s a bit of lobbying and bias involved, which is not a great look for the system.
Another thing that stood out was the absence of selectors. For a national-level tournament, you would expect national or at least regional selectors to be present regularly. But from what I observed, there were no visible appearances from the selectors I’m familiar with. Apart from spotting a few franchise-related officials here and there, there wasn’t much presence. It raises questions about how seriously performances in this tournament are being evaluated.
On the cricketing side, the most disappointing aspect for me was the lack of genuine fast bowling. Pakistan has always been known for producing quality pacers, but in this tournament, that element was largely missing. The only bowler who really caught my eye was Ihsanullah. He has good height, a sharp release, and decent pace. From what I saw, he looked like someone who could push into the higher speed brackets, but surprisingly he only featured in one match, or at least that’s the only time I saw him. I tried asking around about injuries or availability but didn’t get any clear answers.
Most of the other seamers were more in the medium pace category. The leading wicket-taker, Shahab Khan from Abbottabad, is a decent bowler but not someone you’d classify as genuinely quick. Similar case with a few others who reminded me of variations of Salman Mirza in terms of style. I was really hoping to see a few bowlers consistently hitting 140–145, but that just wasn’t the case. There were a couple of names like Rizwan Ullah who looked relatively quicker, and a youngster named Shoaib Akhtar showed some pace, but nothing that really stood out at that top level.
Batting-wise, there were definitely some positives. A number of young players showed good intent and potential. Names that stood out to me include Ali Razaq, who looks like he could develop into a proper all-rounder, along with Shehzad, Mohammad Faiq, Abdullah Fazal, Farhan Yousuf, Shahzaib Khan, and Saad Baig. Kamran Ghulam and Hassan Raza also impressed and, in my opinion, should be in contention at a higher level.
One youngster who really caught my attention was Hamza Zahoor. He looked quite compact, had a nice bat swing, and if I’m not mistaken, he also keeps wickets. Definitely someone to keep an eye on.
What was frustrating, though, was how some senior players were brought into knockout matches despite not being part of the earlier games, and then didn’t really contribute. Meanwhile, some youngsters who had been performing well didn’t get consistent opportunities. It felt like team management in certain cases was more focused on accommodating established names rather than backing in-form players.
I also had the chance to speak with a few players, both young and experienced. One thing that really stood out was how many of them are seriously considering moving abroad, particularly to the USA (As i asked them about USA lol), for better opportunities. I obviously won’t name anyone, but the sentiment was quite strong. A few of them were genuinely disheartened after not being picked for leagues like the PSL despite putting in solid performances domestically.
Anyway, that’s my overall experience. Heading back to the USA now, but I’ll be back in Pakistan soon for the PSL, so hopefully that’s a better organized and more professional experience.
