The Standard of Cricket at PSL 6

[Bewal Express]

I am not a fan of T20 cricket but I have enjoyed the games. All kudos to the groundsman for the excellent wickets with pace and bounce. The fielding is very poor, bowling is good and batting has improved.

 

[cricketAXEpert]

I'm reading some views that people aren't happy about the standard of cricket so far at PSL6.

Some are saying that the low totals and lack of stroke-play doesn't help the standard of tournament.

However I quite enjoy a more even battle between bat and ball, rather than every ball flying over the ropes which are set at 50 or 60 metres.

Thoughts?

I more concerned about the monotony of cricket that is being played. All teams have decided to field first. And all matches have ended with a successful chase. no matter what the target was. I understand due to covid restriction matches are limited to just 2 venues. But this has degraded the tournament a lot. Maybe pitches (keeping in mind there are multiple pitches in the national stadium) should not have been absolute roads where team batting second always wins.

Is Wahab Raiz that good of a Batsman that he can hit Dale Steyn for 2 consecutive sixes? He reminded me of Wasim Akram today

 

[Pacy with wisdom]

Some exilherating and high octane cricket on display today.

 

[MRSN]

This has been so far the best PSL edition IMO. Great to see some high scoring games and also getting chased. It's what T20 cricket is all about.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

It's been great viewing with some flash batting, just feel it's missing some quality overseas pace bowlers which might have tested the batsmen a bit more. You are never going to get the Archers, Starcs or Boults over here, but would make it a much better gauge of how far the Pakistan batting is coming along.

To be fair, they might well get hammered as well on these pitches, but would still be a good yardstick.

 

[Pacy with wisdom]

This is the highest quality of cricket one can ever wish to see.
Everyone out there, watch the replay of this match on youtube.
This is box office entertainment.

 

[Last Monetarist]

This is the highest quality of cricket one can ever wish to see.
Everyone out there, watch the replay of this match on youtube.
This is box office entertainment.

That's absolute hyperbole. It's certainly not the highest quality of cricket one can ever wish to see, but maybe for franchise cricket it's fine.

 

[Pacy with wisdom]

That's absolute hyperbole. It's certainly not the highest quality of cricket one can ever wish to see, but maybe for franchise cricket it's fine.

The standard of fast bowling, the drama and emotion surrounding the clash was right up there.

 

[Last Monetarist]

The standard of fast bowling, the drama and emotion surrounding the clash was right up there.

There's nothing at stake though in such matches, no context at all.

 

[Firebat]

This is why we love cricket! What a brilliant brilliant match

 

[Pacy with wisdom]

There's nothing at stake though in such matches, no context at all.

Surprising that you dont feel the heat of the battles that were on display, but the players have risen up and provided a great theatre for the Karachi vs Lahore clash.

 

[Mamoon]

“Highest quality of cricket one can ever wish to see”

Pakistani fans and their melodrama.

 

[Pacy with wisdom]

“Highest quality of cricket one can ever wish to see”

Pakistani fans and their melodrama.

If only the plays we got to see from Amir, Shaheen and even Rauf and Daniyal were executed by your countrymen or from Archer for that matter. Alas!

I am sure the so called "melodrama" from your side then would have been totally Halal and called for.

 

[thecrusade911]

If only the plays we got to see from Amir, Shaheen and even Rauf and Daniyal were executed by your countrymen or from Archer for that matter. Alas!

I am sure the so called "melodrama" from your side then would have been totally Halal and called for.

Sir what happens to them at the international level then.

 

[MesonK]

Man this is some high level of competition. Young bowlers cranking it up above 145 kph, batsmen swinging thier bats wild ...

Fielding quality is ok, not very impressive.

Best PSL so far

 

[Pacy with wisdom]

Man this is some high level of competition. Young bowlers cranking it up above 145 kph, batsmen swinging thier bats wild ...

Fielding quality is ok, not very impressive.

Best PSL so far

It is perfectly capturing the flavour of Pakistani cricket, unlike when it was in the UAE.

 

[Bewal Express]

It is perfectly capturing the flavour of Pakistani cricket, unlike when it was in the UAE.

The Karachi wicket is brilliant for T20 cricket.

 

[Firebat]

Couldn't ask for a more exciting game of cricket

 

[Rana]

Thankyou PCB for this experience!

What a match!

Reminded me of the famous Survivor Series match between Brock Lesnar and CM Punk!

 

[Firebat]

Thankyou PCB for this experience!

What a match!

Reminded me of the famous Survivor Series match between Brock Lesnar and CM Punk!

I think you mean Summerslam

 

[mazkhan]

Its getting better and better

So glad cricket is back in pakistan

 

[Rana]

I think you mean Summerslam

Oh yes you are right!

 

[Kroll]

Excellent cricketing fare being served up here.

 

[Pakpak]

Very good match. Just hate the tiny boundaries.

 

[Artaxerxes]

I have watched almost every game and enjoyed every game.Some people will keep insisting the quality of cricket is not high because the likes of Boult,Archer etc are not playing.I bet Archer and Boult will go for plenty of runs on these pitches.

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

The cricket has been very entertaining.

However, I'd like to see *some* variety in the pitches, because currently it seems like the toss decides the match. InshAllah, with multiple venues next year, we'll have less of this happening.

Also, I'd love love love to see better death bowling. It's happened multiple times now that sides defending a total will get smashed in the 18th and 19th overs. You can't always put that down to the pitch.

 

[Stewie]

the fielding today was abysmal and overall the standards are pretty low but bowling has been simply fabulous. The batting is about average I would say.

 

[the Great Khan]

i feel that this year we have seen the need for the PSL to get rid of some of the over the hill players..I've enjoyed watching the youngsters and some of the batting has been crazy. Overall i would say last season and the season before were better inmho.

the drama has been second to none however for me. I dont really watch other leagues. So this is my yearly fix although i used to watch the t20 blast and looking forward to the hundred.

Qalanders look like the team to beat this year..we need to see more younger batsman from all over i.e. domestic and foreign playing.

 

[Shazzam]

This is the highest quality of cricket one can ever wish to see.

Never thought a Twenty20 League can produce games better than Test cricket.

 

[offstump]

Highly entertaining and good quality cricket which is what you want from a t20 league. PSL is getting right up there and over time we should start to see some higher caliber current cricket stars enter the fold. However, you can see there is some good young foreign talent out there as well and pcb is capitalizing on it. This is far from “beggar league” cricket as one of our esteemed posters has put it several times. This is great for Pakistan and the tournament has only gotten better each year.

 

[Ellipsism]

Highly entertaining and good quality cricket which is what you want from a t20 league. PSL is getting right up there and over time we should start to see some higher caliber current cricket stars enter the fold. However, you can see there is some good young foreign talent out there as well and pcb is capitalizing on it. This is far from “beggar league” cricket as one of our esteemed posters has put it several times. This is great for Pakistan and the tournament has only gotten better each year.

Doubt we'll ever get any big names apart from the odd Englishmen. It's played at the back end of the summer here in the Southern Hemisphere so players from NZ, AU and SA would be unavailable as they have their own domestic and international commitments.

 

[Titan24]

Quality T20 cricket on offer without a doubt.

Really enjoying the competitiveness, mini battles, heat and pressure in the matches. As PSL is growing every year as a brand the fan affiliation, reputation of the teams, history and stakes are touching the new heights as well which naturally are pumping up the players creating rivalries and contests that are box office material.

 

[shah_1]

Quality cricket

 

[offstump]

Doubt we'll ever get any big names apart from the odd Englishmen. It's played at the back end of the summer here in the Southern Hemisphere so players from NZ, AU and SA would be unavailable as they have their own domestic and international commitments.

They can find a better time slot as the league continues to grow.

 

[zacattakk]

One weakness for me this year was the quality of bowling, particularly at the death.
But it was awesome to see Shaheen and Amir at full throttle today!!!!! Loved the energy and passion! Best game so far!

 

[Mamoon]

Highly entertaining and good quality cricket which is what you want from a t20 league. PSL is getting right up there and over time we should start to see some higher caliber current cricket stars enter the fold. However, you can see there is some good young foreign talent out there as well and pcb is capitalizing on it. This is far from “beggar league” cricket as one of our esteemed posters has put it several times. This is great for Pakistan and the tournament has only gotten better each year.

It is a beggar league because 99% of the best active players in the world is outside PCB’s budget. When it comes to foreign players, we have to mainly rely on retired players, reserve players and outcast likes Hales etc.

As long as PSL cannot rope in the best contemporary players from England, Australia and New Zealand, it cannot shed its reputation as a low-budget, beggar league.

The likes of Bairstow and Archer played in PSL before they became household names, but as soon as they became stars, they now don’t look at PSL. Even Steyn wasn’t available initially, and these current top players will play in PSL when they are 35+, like de Villiers.

That sums up the status of PSL and where it stands in the game.

 

[Mamoon]

If only the plays we got to see from Amir, Shaheen and even Rauf and Daniyal were executed by your countrymen or from Archer for that matter. Alas!

I am sure the so called "melodrama" from your side then would have been totally Halal and called for.

I don’t care about bowling in this format, and the likes of Rauf and Daniyal are rubbish anyway. Play them against IPL lineups and they will get carted at 12+ an over.

The pool of batsmen in PSL is embarrassing, and it is the major reason why the standard of bowling looks good at times.

Pakistani fans have, for years, tried to sell this dummy that PSL has the best bowling in the world when you have the likes of Irfan, Shinwari, Junaid, Tanvir, Rahat, Sohail Khan, Wahab etc. regularly featuring until 2019-20, with some even featuring today, but that so-called high quality bowling was mainly down to the low quality batting.

 

[Mamoon]

The lack of star power is compounded by the fact that Pakistan itself is a deeply mediocre cricket nation with no talent.

When you have only 2-3 top players in the country, you cannot compensate for the lack of world class foreign players participating.

IPL can survive even without the best foreign players playing because the Indian talent coming through is incredible.

 

[Ellipsism]

They can find a better time slot as the league continues to grow.

The IPL window is only going to get longer as time goes on and the CPL is played during the off season in the southern hemisphere as well.

Add to that the hundred and there's really no other time to schedule the PSL.

 

[Indiafan]

Very entertaining cricket. I hope this shows Pak fans that high scoring matches can be entertaining too. Only issue I might have is currently the toss factor is affecting the result, with chasing sides winning all matches

 

[Artaxerxes]

They same India which had no fast bowlers.Sreenath was the first Indian fast bowler.India used to play four spinners.Cricket goes into cycles.WI and Australia had the greatest teams in history whereas no Indian team has dominated cricket for any period of time.There is a good chance India can regress too like Pakistan did but Pakistan can rise again.

 

[Titan24]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/thePSLt20?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thePSLt20</a> consistently shows extraordinary skill levels. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HBLPSL6?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HBLPSL6</a> again pushed the boundaries for entertainment/great cricket. If you take out the money, the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HBLPSL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HBLPSL</a> has to be the best quality T20 league out there. TV comms are better. The local talent is terrific.</p>— Ian Pont (@Ponty100mph) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ponty100mph/status/1409083007080833024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[ElRaja]

objectively, the glaring lack of young local batting talent and spinners holds the league back massively. yes there are lots of fast bowlers, but that's not enough.

also the quality of international players is sub par (can give a pass since half the league had to be postponed this season), a lot of teams are struggle to fill out the 4 overseas quota.

the psl will eventually become the second most important league, however the pcb really cant leave the franchises on auto pilot.

given their are only six franchises if the local batting talent can improve the quality density of the teams is likely to be higher than other leagues barring the ipl until the psl franchises can afford to rope in at least two world class players for each team.

 

[Saj]

I know Sohaib Maqsood came good, but he's not exactly in the flush of youth.

It was disappointing to see young Pakistani batsman after batsman clearly not good enough and throwing their wicket away again and again.

The lack of batting talent really is a concern and the reason why the selectors keep having to look backwards rather than forwards.

 

[Titan24]

I agree that lack of young upcoming batsmen is a concern. However, situation looks worse when whichever the best young white-ball batsmen we have dont get much opportunities as well. Yes Haider got his fare share of opportunities but someone like Rohail scored 34 in his first and only innings he got in the first leg out of 4 matches and then got 3 more games where he scored 8, didnt bat, 1 and was dropped.

On the other hand Qasim Akram averaged 50+ in Pakistan cup, got one match with KK where he bowled 4 overs for 33-34 which was really good in context of the match along with hitting a six and a four in 3 or so balls he faced at the end chasing a huge total which already looked out of reach after which he was dropped. Same was the treatment of Mohammad Haris and Zeeshan Malik on KK’s bench. Same was the case with Agha Salman for LQ. If we compare it to IPL they give regular chances to their young batsmen and yes they also have more matches to play with so there is that.

On the other hand someone like Ali Imran who looks to be a pretty decent white-ball player wasnt even part pf any squad this time around and even when previously he was selected he spent his time on bench.

There isnt much young batting talent available but, talent which is available is not being given enough opportunities.

 

[ataullah]

I know Sohaib Maqsood came good, but he's not exactly in the flush of youth.

It was disappointing to see young Pakistani batsman after batsman clearly not good enough and throwing their wicket away again and again.

The lack of batting talent really is a concern and the reason why the selectors keep having to look backwards rather than forwards.

There is a lack of batting talent but it may not be as worse as we think. If they are given a fair chance they can come good. Danish Aziz showed he has the ability with some great hitting. I'm sure if Zeeshan Malik and Abdullah Shafiq etc were given chances instead of a few seniors the picture would look much better