I agree with this, but my main concern is that the quality of cricket is going to dilute further. I am not sure if I am going to been keen to watch some associate and minnow cricketers playing in packed stadiums.
PCB is in a tight spot here. It is a trade-off between empty stadiums/decent cricketers and packed stadiums/rubbish cricketers. PSL fan following is established in Pakistan and people have started to develop loyalty to the franchises, so I suppose that they can afford to lower the quality of the tournament to attract more people to the grounds.
All in all, it is pretty clear that the PSL has reached its saturation point in the UAE. The folks there no longer seem care about it, and the overall package is only getting worse and worse. PSL 1 was good, PSL 2 was acceptable, but PSL 3 has been a nightmare so far.
It won't, trust me. PAK itself has enough players to make 6 competitive T20 teams - add to that 4/5 regular Internationals in their 20s, quality will be much better than what it is now. Besides, now PSL is being used for nourishing obsolete cricketers (both home & foreign), cricketers who are using their image from 10 years back to make money. It's a shame even to look at Misbah with that beard to lead a team of young man's game (no insult to Misbah or beard, but it's just so odd to see). Besides, with money, superior coaching staff, effective scouting ......... I am sure there will be many young cricketers coming from PAK who'll give 120% for a name in PSL, even for token money. It has to come into a system, which will find it's own way to survive and grow itself. I am sure, I am sure if proper scouting are placed, PSL can find much, much, much better than serving Iftekhar or Sohail Tanvir a Gold contract
Besides, PSL will force PSB to behave properly - no way people investing in billions will allow PCB to arrange PSL where we see a game between cricket & hockey. These people will hire professionals to suggest/consult them how & for what franchises need to squeeze PCBs balls, so that it hurts, hurts enough that they start to run for their life. Rest assured, the joke that PCB runs in the name of PAK domestics, PSL won't allow it to continue like that. I am sure today, biggest interest for most people here in PP was to see the youngsters of IU (Misbah spoiled the party though by dropping Farhan) - it'll be same in PAK as well; people will follow keenly which new youngsters are unleashed; you don't need star names always to engage fans.
Another factor which is missing in PSL is that there is no fan base - something that can take PSL beyond players' quality. I give a classic example which you'll understand - Ittehad stadium has 58K capacity, the most glamorous Manager of the game and a squad which TransferMkt.com values just about a billion dollar - hardly Ittehad is ever sold out and their average occupancy was below 80% till last year (don't know this year). Compared to that, St. James Park (New Castle) or Allen Road (Leeds), has capacity of 52K & 38K - average attendance was 48K & 35K respectively - even at Championship. One step further is Coventry City - their 32K Ricoh Arena is sold out even for a 2nd division (4th tier in English League) game every week; it's cheap ticket compared to EPL, but people are filling that ground to cheer for their team, at the same time when they could have watched MU taking Liverpool in TV!!!! This is what City based fan and PSL has to develop that - which only possible if it's arranged in PAK.
That was from positive angle - unbelievable potential, but people are missing the risk of running PSL in UAE with this chemotherapy survival. In today's' world gate money hardly matters, therefore I don't bother about how many attends at Dubai; BUT what matters is TV/on-line money & endorsements. The quality of PSL I see in UAE, if this goes on, even most die hard PAK fan won't waste sleep till 1 AM to watch it - there goes the TV money and PSL will surely, surely die if sponsors lose interest. Take today's game - QG played a clinical match, and I could see their strategy - target was reachable on a sluggish wicket, but on a small ground. So, they raced in fast few overs, brought asking down, then kept wicket in middle overs by strolling to make sure that they can avoid a LQ like collapse; as a double cover they kept Sarfraz & Mahmudullah back - and in between took advantage of that 50+ metre boundary to close in with selective hits. They made sure that, if they bat out 20 overs, there is only one winner, which is the most boring strategy for T20. Here in PP, I am sure majority didn't see their clinical chase, let alone mass people, who don't spend daily 2 hours in PP analyzing game - they'll simply loose interest if a T20 is played couple of years like this "clinical" way - that's the end of PSL.
For it's survival, PSL has to come in PAK, absolutely no alternative. It's better to arrange National T20 in PAK, than PSL in UAE with AB, Kohli, Strac, Stokes, Shakib, Warner..... in it. Initial 2/3 years, I understand, but now UAE is a negative connotation and to change that, PAK Govt. has to support PCB far better than that Presidential security. Do whatever needed, engage whoever is required to make the Game zone safe & incident free for those few days; if required pass new bill - empowering security agencies to even shoot at 1st sight in "red zone" & shoot to kill - then see whose corps it is, if there is any suspicious act. Most terror acts are conducted with a strategic objective - make sure that business case becomes too costly for them - couple of years successful arrangements, PSL will loose it's lucrativeness as a target.
PCB can't force International teams to tour PAK, because of many other factors outside cricket. But, PSL is beyond politics or policy - mature people are free to tour any country on their own and this is the scope of bringing cricket back in PAK. Pay handsomely to few names rather than this bulk purchase, and pay them sweet enough (not only players, even coach, support staff, media partners) and engage professionals to explain security arrangements - I am sure even Tom Moody won't mind to stay in PAK for 6 weeks in VIP status for money that covers his annual luxury.
you are very funny man
