Offering financial incentives/points-based incentive on playing youngsters in PSL

[InziRules]

I was wondering if it would be a good idea to offer financial or points based incentives to play youngsters. It would take away some of the competitiveness (If you can call it that) but be better for our cricket overall. The Championship and lower football leagues in England manage to do it without compromising on the quality of those leagues

Something like this, with 10 group games (No one would be forced to play youngsters in the finals)

Balls Played/Balls Bowled in 10 games by Youngsters
50% or more of the balls played/bowled - Maximum financial reward/ 2 extra points

40-50% or more of the balls played/bowled- A middle financial reward/1 point

20-40% or more of the balls played/ bowled- No financial reward/ 0 points

<20% of the balls played/bowled- Some sort of fine/ -1 point

0% of the balls played/ bowled (Extreme case)- Major fine/ -3 points

I think this would incentivise clubs to pick more youngsters.

Now the one thing left would be to define youngsters

Under or at the age of 23, and has played less than 50% in Pakistan's team for the past year. This will stop people from buying just the top talent already playing and giving them playing time. So for example, a 23 year old Babar Azam would not have counted two years ago, as he would have been in any way.

This will allow new players to play and offer a pathway to the team. It also ensures that those new players will get playing time as well.

Now some will say the extra points are too much, so we could go only financial based. But I think 2 points is hardly going to be worth giving 10 overs to horrible players, especially when you're playing for 20 points total, and you'll lose more if you try to just play for the sake of it. However, not playing youngsters and losing points would be major

Also, I don't really think PSL is this super competitive league where everyone just wants to win, it's a lot more about development as well.

Thoughts?

 

[King-Misbah]

Its a league with private investors, you can not dictate organisations who make investments. It should be a free market with minimal influence from the PCB.

 

[InziRules]

Its a league with private investors, you can not dictate organisations who make investments. It should be a free market with minimal influence from the PCB.

So is the English Championship, and the Lower Leagues. When you run the league, you can offer additional financial incentives/fines if you wish. Hell, look at the Premier League and Champions League Homegrown player rules. Points, again, are in the hands of the PCB. Other leagues have done it. Maybe not in cricket, but that's beyond the point, surely?

 

[King-Misbah]

So is the English Championship, and the Lower Leagues. When you run the league, you can offer additional financial incentives/fines if you wish. Hell, look at the Premier League and Champions League Homegrown player rules. Points, again, are in the hands of the PCB. Other leagues have done it. Maybe not in cricket, but that's beyond the point, surely?

I just think the PSL should not be a playground for developing Pakistani youngsters. What is the point of domestic cricket? PSL should be used to generate money for domestic and Pakistan cricket. If a Pakistani youngster is good enough, a PSL franchise will eventually invest in him; look at Shadab Khan or Umer Khan. Lets not compromise the competitiveness of the league by altering the objective of the PSL.

 

[InziRules]

I just think the PSL should not be a playground for developing Pakistani youngsters. What is the point of domestic cricket? PSL should be used to generate money for domestic and Pakistan cricket. If a Pakistani youngster is good enough, a PSL franchise will eventually invest in him; look at Shadab Khan or Umer Khan. Lets not compromise the competitiveness of the league by altering the objective of the PSL.

I respect your viewpoint on this actually. I think a similar system, if not for PSL, should at least extend to first class and List A cricket

 

[ahsan17]

The problem I have been seeing with PSL since the first edition is that a lot of Pakistani players are those who have no future in the Pakistani team and/or will soon retire. What are the likes of Malik, Hafeez, Afridi, Salman Butt, Sohail Tanvir, Kamran Akmal etc doing in this league? These people have no future in the Pakistan team. It should be a league to groom the future players, and yet half of it is filled with retirees or soon to be retirees, some of which had to be retired unwillingly (e.g. Akmal). Maybe Afridi can be an exception because he is a brand of his own and people will come to watch him, but the other players are not that. PCB needs to make a rule around this so that the future drafts don't include such players and instead contain younger players.

Its a league with private investors, you can not dictate organisations who make investments. It should be a free market with minimal influence from the PCB.

PCB can talk to the ownership of the teams to see how they feel about it. I suspect they will most be onboard with this idea.

 

[Mamoon]

You cannot force the franchise to play talentless Pakistani youngsters.

The fact is that there is a talent crisis in Pakistan and 99% of the youngsters coming through are garbage.

That is why these old TTFs and random foreign players continue to outshine them.

 

[Energy]

It is not business central, and will not be viable. If PSL has the responsibility of developing players then why should PCB employees get paid heavy salaries? To do what?

 

[Buzurg Khan]

I think the PSL is good for the sporadic talent spotting and some exposure, but it's no place to implement extensive player development. Especially if the goal is to make money for Pakistan cricket in the long-term, get viewers and make it much more of a brand. For example, people will pay to watch Babar now—but would they have five years ago? Seats and subscriptions are often sold on the big names.

But I really like your idea from the England leagues. If possible, it should be implemented in some form at the first-class and domestic limited overs level. Because even in those teams there's several older cricketers taking up spots who should've moved on already and notable younger names who are relegated to second XIs or the bench.

 

[MMHS]

Incentives rather should be paid for not playing youngsters!!!!! Instead of PSL, with the six FC teams, PCB should add one more team (not necessarily has to be part of championship table) with NCA development squad, to play 12, four day games against the six professional teams.

And, if it were in my hand, I would have banned any player U23 to play in those PLs & SLs - this will have served two purposes

1. Youngsters’ fundamental cricket skills won’t be permanently damaged before even starting the career properly & their body will get tempered with proper cricket drills - eight hours batting in middle or 23 overs pace bowling in a day, in like 6 different spells. Gold gym doesn’t prepare body for cricket, neither does 20 overs circus.

2. That will encourage PAK youngsters to be born as zero years old at birth by certificate - now 25+ years old Musa Khan is impressing with his skills as a teen aged boy, such talent show will reduce significantly, if we can make sure that by your certificate, you have to be 23 before joining the fun.

I still wonder why this thing PSL is taking so much media space in PP - haven’t we learnt enough? It’s purpose is to serve the entertainment(s), very similar to what we enjoyed at the weekend nights during our dorm life ....... it’s actually better than that because it earns money - that little credit I’ll give to PLs & SLs, as long as it doesn’t take players to court (our weekend nights did take few to police custody....)

....... otherwise, planning the player scouting/development through T20 leagues is a project very similar to what, long back one small NGO is Bangladesh planned - recycling of used condoms, for mass ...... outcome will be very similar.

 

[Pakpak]

The problem I have been seeing with PSL since the first edition is that a lot of Pakistani players are those who have no future in the Pakistani team and/or will soon retire. What are the likes of Malik, Hafeez, Afridi, Salman Butt, Sohail Tanvir, Kamran Akmal etc doing in this league? These people have no future in the Pakistan team. It should be a league to groom the future players, and yet half of it is filled with retirees or soon to be retirees, some of which had to be retired unwillingly (e.g. Akmal). Maybe Afridi can be an exception because he is a brand of his own and people will come to watch him, but the other players are not that. PCB needs to make a rule around this so that the future drafts don't include such players and instead contain younger players.



PCB can talk to the ownership of the teams to see how they feel about it. I suspect they will most be onboard with this idea.

Your post is the real issues. PSL is starting to be filled with these has-beens who have very good contacts and who sneak into teams. I have no idea what is the point of Malik, Hafeez, Afridi, Butt, Akmal anymore. Past it. All of them.

 

[iniqbal223]

Media creates hype for TTFs. Ajmal is still the best in the world acc. some media channels. If I am new to Pakistan cricket, and I listen all that crap, that is a big turn off for me..I have few friends here in California, from SL who were interested in watching PSL 5 games. They were excited to see young players and new talent from Pakistan, but as soon as they keep hearing akmals, Shehzads, Butts, Maliks, Hafeez, they stopped watching. They said they saw these players failed many times so no point in wasting time..

This is how it is for new PSL audience...

 

[InziRules]

It is not business central, and will not be viable. If PSL has the responsibility of developing players then why should PCB employees get paid heavy salaries? To do what?

Should a Cricket League be business centered first and foremost though?

 

[Slim]

no

 

[iniqbal223]

PSL MUST be business centered, this will increase market value and make it more attractive. This will also improve the financial status of our local talent. Let me explain how :

1) If more people go to the ground, more marketers or sponsors will get attracted and bring in more $$$. Now this is different from India. In India, household incomes are higher, so when foreign MNCs such as Nike/Adidas sponsors they know they are targeting people who are capable of buying products.
Now we have a situation here, Nike or other MNC would be hesitant in putting so much $$$ in PSL. But they can still do it, if PSL gets international eye balls. I mean to say if PSL is liked or watched in other countries such as Australia/England/US, etc. Then PSL will get lots of TV sponsorship...

Now, PSL really needs to aggressively pitch in marketers. They really needs a revamp in its marketing department. This is still poor quality. Why there are captions of Trucks/auto rickshaws in production. Is PSL only meant for truck drivers..I am surprised Mani/Wasim Khan could not understand this so far even though they have done so many market research.. But still if they realize they want to make it a global sport, they can do it..

2) PSL attraction : Pakistan always been a good base for new and raw talent, every one gets excited to see what this new guy will do. I think the best possible combination for PSL success would be international players + young raw talent of us..

See no body cares to see Akmals/Shehzads and other TTFs, frankly speaking. If they are performing very well in PSL that also de values. As an outsider, people think poor international players are doing amazing at PSL and this shows PSL is not a competitive league. In reality, all we have is a group of Tired, discarded or retired international superstars. And PSL needs to change this pecking order if they have to make any significant inroads. Its a big achievement that PSL happened in Pakistan, and I do hope if we get rid of TTFs + retired superstars, PSL would become more attractive, however, they need to spill out $$$ for players like Smith, Warner, Williamson, etc.

 

[Barragan]

Ridiculous idea!!

The rule of playing an emerging player is enough.