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[VIDEOS/PICTURES] Should Karachi be banned from hosting PSL matches?

Should Karachi be banned from hosting PSL matches?

  • Yes please

    Votes: 26 81.3%

  • No, wont be a great decision

    Votes: 6 18.8%
  • Total voters
    32
Why can't we have a world class stadium in the posh Defence Area in Karachi?
 
No, it won't be a good idea. All PSL matches should be played in home and away matches. I hope we get to see PSL matches in Peshawar and Quetta soon.
 
Crowd in karachi has been poor. TBH, but still it has hosted many historic games in the past. Cannot just ban it.
 
The Final is in Karachi and so are the knockout games.

The worst part is, the final is on a MONDAY. :ROFLMAO:

Absolutely laughable!

The most viewed games will be played in empty stadiums.
 
Barragan said:
The Final is in Karachi and so are the knockout games.

The worst part is, the final is on a MONDAY. :ROFLMAO:

Absolutely laughable!

The most viewed games will be played in empty stadiums.
Click to expand...

Karachi has been given enough chances to show up. PCB should make the decision to shift the remaining games to Multan, Lahore and Pindi.
 
Am confused and perplexed by the PCB's complete inaction over the pathetic crowds in Khi. We are suppossed to hold the playoffs and final in Khi, are they seriously going to play the playoffs and final in Khi with more people on the field than the crowd?

A lot of people need to be fired for this criminal incompetence.
 
After this we definitely need to ban Karachi venue for PSL.
XN1NUAZ.jpeg
 
Savak said:
Am confused and perplexed by the PCB's complete inaction over the pathetic crowds in Khi. We are suppossed to hold the playoffs and final in Khi, are they seriously going to play the playoffs and final in Khi with more people on the field than the crowd?

A lot of people need to be fired for this criminal incompetence.
Click to expand...

They are in danger of destroying this year's competition by staging games at Karachi. I had hoped that with their dismal team crashing out we would have seen the last of this miserable stadium, but seems all of the knockout stage games are being played in the Karachi dustbowl in front of empty stands.

Meanwhile, in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Multan they have been playing to sell out crowds which have had the overseas players pumping up the spectators. What a fiasco.
 
A lot of people need to be fired for this disasterous Karachi leg. The PCB has had one week to take action and make the decision to shift the games to Lahore, Multan, Pindi but no one is interested or concerned.
 
Where is the crowd in Karachi? It's the qualifier match of PSL 9 between Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans.

Empty stadiums, are you serious? Karachi is just a letdown.

Rawalpindi, Multan and Lahore had house fulls.
 
There is only so much you can milk out of Karachi residents on daily basis. Its sad to see how much Karachi which produces the most amount of revenue for Pakistani has been milked and thrashed by the rest of the country,.
 
Karachi has become too modernised than to take your car in a traffic jam and pass security checks only to sit on rigid and outdated fixtures to watch 3rd rate pensioners sportsmen trying to make ends meet on a cricket field.

Why not go on a Seaview or a centre for special needs in a secured gated community to get relaxed and satisfy your taste buds with delicious food and end up home smoothly.
 
Literally an embarrassing thing to be even playing qualifiers in near empty grounds.

Karachi from next year should probably get max 5 games in the entire PSL and that too from the start not the middle or end games.

Rest should be given to Pindi and Multan and a few to Lahore if Peshawar isn't ready for next year.

Pindi deserves more games as the weather is even cooler and plus being close to Islamabad which has the best hotel in Serena where the players are kept during their stay.
 
The attendance has been absolutely disrespectful from Karachi. But these mediocre attendances have been going on for a while now.
 
PSL has become a Ramadan night tournament toward its most important stage.

PCB at it's brilliant best.
 
Energy said:
PSL has become a Ramadan night tournament toward its most important stage.

PCB at it's brilliant best.
Click to expand...
And next year, Ramzan will start 10 days earlier. It will continue to be for the next few years
 
Mohammad Rizwan when asked by Urooj to ask Karachiites to fill the stadium:

"It's a strange thing that the ground in Karachi is not seeing a full house despite our match being played here; One could say that this is due to prayers and Taraweehs but I am hopeful that the ground will be full for the next match"
 
Energy said:
PSL has become a Ramadan night tournament toward its most important stage.

PCB at it's brilliant best.
Click to expand...

Don't think Ramzan is a factor here. This is just the Karachi Factor.

Hold these matches in Ramzan in Multan, Lahore, Pindi, Peshawar and watch sold out crowds.

Karachi should not get more than 1-2 games, Karachi Kings to be honest doesn't deserve a home crowd either given how pathetically the Franchise has been managed. Hopefully PCB searches for some new owners from 2025 onwards.
 
Asad T said:
And next year, Ramzan will start 10 days earlier. It will continue to be for the next few years
Click to expand...

PCB can choose to listen to the Franchise Owners and find a new window for the PSL. The writing is on the wall.

The PSL is now competing with the likes of BBL, SA T20, ILT20, BPL and IPL. Drastically improving the finances of the league is not practical given the fragile state of the Pakistani economy but what the PCB can do is to shift the PSL window to Sept-Oct to minimize clashes, competition with other leagues and to shift their domestic tournaments or international commitments to the Feb-March window.
 
Karachi street cricket is also finished since last decade , passion for cricket has died in Karachi after 2003 debacle.
 
  • The stadium's quality is sub-par.
  • Accessing the stadium is extremely inconvenient.
  • The cricket culture in Karachi has waned compared to other cities.
  • Karachi faced significant terrorism issues in the past.
  • The city lacks focus, with the provincial party controlling the budget, plagued by corruption and criminal activities.
  • Inflation has disproportionately impacted the middle and lower classes in Pakistan, with many Karachi residents living hand to mouth.
  • The city and its inhabitants seem to have lost some of their essence amidst these challenges, in my opinion.
 
Muhammad Saad said:
Karachi street cricket is also finished since last decade , passion for cricket has died in Karachi after 2003 debacle.
Click to expand...

The PCB should consider moving games to other provinces like Kashmir or Balochistan where people still have love for the game. Peshawar used to host some brilliant matches before 911, the pitch conditions were decent for seam bowlers as well.

The T20 games are a global competition now, Pakistan cannot afford to have empty grounds broadcast all over the world when they could be playing in front of packed houses at other venues. Let Karachi use their stadium for whatever would bring in crowds for the locals, maybe a Rihanna concert or turn it into a shopping mall.
 
The PCB has decided that the cost of shifting the remaining games is far greater than the cost of continuing to play before empty crowds.
 
That's the future of PSL, a harsh reality there is a product life cycle in marketing which has 4 stages
Introduction
Growth
Maturity
Decline

After 9 seasons the league should be in growth stage but the reality is it has jumped into decline stage
 
Savak said:
The PCB has decided that the cost of shifting the remaining games is far greater than the cost of continuing to play before empty crowds.
Click to expand...

I have thought about this as to why pcb is so hell bent on giving games to karachi and a big chunk of it. I think Sindh Government is paying for security bill instead of pcb and when it comes to punjab , cost is split between GOP and PCB. So pcb in all its greed despite having healthy bank balance decided to hold matches in sindh to save up on security bills not caring about psl as a brand could be effected
 
Wasim Ghulam said:
I have thought about this as to why pcb is so hell bent on giving games to karachi and a big chunk of it. I think Sindh Government is paying for security bill instead of pcb and when it comes to punjab , cost is split between GOP and PCB. So pcb in all its greed despite having healthy bank balance decided to hold matches in sindh to save up on security bills not caring about psl as a brand could be effected
Click to expand...
I hope PCB is also accounting for long term brand building. If PSL becomes a much bigger thing than there will be as a consequence pouring in more money.
 
RidiculousMan said:
I hope PCB is also accounting for long term brand building. If PSL becomes a much bigger thing than there will be as a consequence pouring in more money.
Click to expand...

A few sports reporters close to the Franchise owners commented that the reason why the Franchise owners are hesitant to pour more money in the league is because they fear that the Fair market value of their teams will go up and they as a result will have to pay more to the PCB in 2025 when the rights of the Franchises are over.
 
This is Eliminator 1 of PSL 9 between Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators, and the stands in Karachi are empty, as if it were a normal club match.

g4QBmdE.jpg


awUHH6i.jpg
 
As per media reports, the PCB has no intentions of shifting the remaining matches to another venue as they opted for a home and away format for this season and Karachi is considered home for Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators.


What margin of profit has PCB earned in the second leg of PSL 9?
 
Kianig89 said:
That's the future of PSL, a harsh reality there is a product life cycle in marketing which has 4 stages
Introduction
Growth
Maturity
Decline

After 9 seasons the league should be in growth stage but the reality is it has jumped into decline stage
Click to expand...

Not sure why you are linking this to empty Karachi stadiums. At other venues they are sold out, crowds are pouring in and there is a real buzz created. Unless you think Karachi is ahead of the curve and other grounds will also be empty in future.

Generally full stadiums filled with enthusiastic spectators is healthy for any sport and the brand, so we could argue that the PSL is showing all the ingredients for success and it is Karachi which is the outlier, for reasons we still haven't established.
 
FearlessRoar said:
As per media reports, the PCB has no intentions of shifting the remaining matches to another venue as they opted for a home and away format for this season and Karachi is considered home for Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators.


What margin of profit has PCB earned in the second leg of PSL 9?
Click to expand...
When does home and away become a thing in playoffs? And Karachi Kings is not even in the tournament anymore.
 
Kianig89 said:
That's the future of PSL, a harsh reality there is a product life cycle in marketing which has 4 stages
Introduction
Growth
Maturity
Decline

After 9 seasons the league should be in growth stage but the reality is it has jumped into decline stage
Click to expand...
If it's the decline of the product than how do you explain fully sold out crowds at all 3 other PSL venues, I e Multan pindi and Lahore?

There still is demand for the product all over country except Karachi which doesn't even show up for international games.
 
Yep, the crowd was pretty pathetic tbh. PCB should be thinking about this for the next PSL.

---------------------------------------

Wasim Akram speaking, about the crowd attendance in PSL games held in Karachi, during the TV show:

“Karachiites used to go everywhere; I have observed vibrancy wherever they go. Whether it’s a Ramadan tournament, Asghar Ali Stadium, or Moin Khan Stadium, people show up. Why aren’t people coming here? The reason will have to be checked.”

"It’s quite embarrassing that there were hardly any spectators in the stadium for the premier tournament, PSL, today. It was quite disappointing that there was no audience to watch the match. I’m uncertain if the crowd will show up for the next matches. Perhaps today was the first day of Ramadan, or people were preoccupied at home or with errands. Interestingly, the crowd at the ILT 20 league was larger than this."​
 
Whatever the reasons are for poor crowds at the NSK, it needs a proper and thorough investigation as this cannot continue and is embarrassing.

It's been brushed under the carpet for too long and needs addressing urgently.
 
Karachi has thoroughly embarrassed itself this time around. Top to bottom.
 
Savak said:
A few sports reporters close to the Franchise owners commented that the reason why the Franchise owners are hesitant to pour more money in the league is because they fear that the Fair market value of their teams will go up and they as a result will have to pay more to the PCB in 2025 when the rights of the Franchises are over.
Click to expand...
If current ownership model disincentivizes the growth of a franchisee value then it's time to change that.
 
kingusama92 said:
Karachi has thoroughly embarrassed itself this time around. Top to bottom.
Click to expand...

I don't think it is only Karachi who should be embarrassed, but the PCB who seem to have been caught totally unawares that there was no appetite for PSL in Karachi. We can say PCB must address it for the next PSL, but by then the damage done may have been terminal. This has damaged the PSL brand terribly.

The PCB has always come in for criticism as being out of touch, clueless and reactionary. This fiasco is only going to reinforce that view. If you are a franchise owner you would be raging mad at seeing so many games played out at empty stadiums.
 
To say that Karachi has embarrassed itself is ridiculous. The blame squarely lies on the shoulders of the PCB.

1. Getting to the stadium is a herculean task with so many checkpoints and diversions. If somebody wants to come from Clifton, it will take you at the very least 2 hours to get to the stadium despite the ground being only 20 minutes away.

2. You're supposed to park your car far away and then walk at least 2 km.

3. If you somehow retain your senses after all of that and the security checking, then you encounter one of the worst experiences of watching a cricket match. There is a 20-feet high animal cage in front of the stands that prevents any clear view of the ground if you happen to sit on the seats at ground level.

4. You naturally flock to the upper level seats but then your view is further dimmed on two counts: (i) the higher you go, the further you get from the action and (ii) in your eye-line you will encounter the stadium roof which for some brilliant reason the architect thought should be designed in the manner that the roof arches inwards rather than outwards.

5. If you sit at the highest level seats, the distance from your seat to the fielder on the boundary is probably equal to the distance between the fielder and the batsman. How can that be categorized as a good viewing experience?

Compare all of this to the option of sitting in your lounge with live commentary, replays, food breaks at your leisure, saving up on all the fuel costs of getting to the stadium and most importantly saving yourself from the mental toll of driving through traffic and checkpoints, it is a complete no-brainer to not go to the stadium.

Karachi needs a brand new stadium which caters to the pleasure of the crowd. National Stadium needs to be binned.
 
FastBowlingAllrounder said:
Good points but unfortunately, you're talking to a brick wall who has clearly never lived in Karachi.
Click to expand...
unfortunately, many of you dont know how sports hosting works and when fans dont show up in a particular city, they are critiszied and not to be given matches to host
 
Its ridiculous the excuses people are making for Karachi.

It doesnt work that way. The facilities and services are same in all the grounds yet fans show up in Punjab. If you cant show up, sorry no more hosting for your city than.

Even with improved services, Karachi people dont show up.

Karachi fans want to host games and also dont wana show up, cant work that way
 
I saw few screenshots on social media about crowd for an eliminator. I think benefit match has more crowd. This is like match happening during peak of COVID
 
shariqnoor said:
To say that Karachi has embarrassed itself is ridiculous. The blame squarely lies on the shoulders of the PCB.

1. Getting to the stadium is a herculean task with so many checkpoints and diversions. If somebody wants to come from Clifton, it will take you at the very least 2 hours to get to the stadium despite the ground being only 20 minutes away.

2. You're supposed to park your car far away and then walk at least 2 km.

3. If you somehow retain your senses after all of that and the security checking, then you encounter one of the worst experiences of watching a cricket match. There is a 20-feet high animal cage in front of the stands that prevents any clear view of the ground if you happen to sit on the seats at ground level.

4. You naturally flock to the upper level seats but then your view is further dimmed on two counts: (i) the higher you go, the further you get from the action and (ii) in your eye-line you will encounter the stadium roof which for some brilliant reason the architect thought should be designed in the manner that the roof arches inwards rather than outwards.

5. If you sit at the highest level seats, the distance from your seat to the fielder on the boundary is probably equal to the distance between the fielder and the batsman. How can that be categorized as a good viewing experience?

Compare all of this to the option of sitting in your lounge with live commentary, replays, food breaks at your leisure, saving up on all the fuel costs of getting to the stadium and most importantly saving yourself from the mental toll of driving through traffic and checkpoints, it is a complete no-brainer to not go to the stadium.

Karachi needs a brand new stadium which caters to the pleasure of the crowd. National Stadium needs to be binned.
Click to expand...
PCB provides shuttle service from the parking to the stadium.

Also, in the past, PCB even allowed careems to drop of fans right infront of the stadium during the Australia test series and i know this cause my cousin went and told them.

These issues that you listed do exist, but they exist in every ground and city. Karachi isn't exclusive in this. Still people turn up in other cities.

Karachi doesnt need a new stadium, Karachi just doesnt need matches
 
It's not Karachi's fault, it's completely the pcb's.

This has been the theme throughout the tournament in Karachi and they had more than enough time to move the eliminators.

The final is also going to be the same.

Pure dumbness from pcb.
 
Matches in Karachi with Basit and Aamer Sohail commentating have been the most exciting part of this PSL.
 
Barragan said:
It's not Karachi's fault, it's completely the pcb's.

This has been the theme throughout the tournament in Karachi and they had more than enough time to move the eliminators.

The final is also going to be the same.

Pure dumbness from pcb.
Click to expand...
you cant shift once schedule has been made. You have logistics, moving broadcasting equipment, obtaining govt permissions, getting police staff, than booking hotels for all stake holders. Cancelling all this ads to the cost, and broadcasting equipment cannot be shifted at the last minute.

PCB's at fault for schduling a game in karachi, but once schduled its on the karachi fans to turn up
 
Such a disappointing crowd for Eliminator 2 between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United. At least Karachiites should show some respect for this important match. Really disappointed. Matches should be held in Lahore, Islamabad, or Peshawar where the people are excited to support their teams and players.

1710606749233.png
 
Asad T said:
To what extent do you guys think it's the disinterested Karachi crowd vs the way it's being logically handled by the authorities?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1763239714981552185
Click to expand...
Have heard this from multiple people from Karachi now, some that I know in person.

Getting to the stadium seems like getting to the other side of the universe with awful traffic. Let alone getting inside the stadium.
 
Wasim Ghulam said:
I have thought about this as to why pcb is so hell bent on giving games to karachi and a big chunk of it. I think Sindh Government is paying for security bill instead of pcb and when it comes to punjab , cost is split between GOP and PCB. So pcb in all its greed despite having healthy bank balance decided to hold matches in sindh to save up on security bills not caring about psl as a brand could be effected
Click to expand...
Is there any proof to this theory that the PCB and sindh government is sharing the security bill for this PSL games held at Karachi??
 
Major said:
you cant shift once schedule has been made. You have logistics, moving broadcasting equipment, obtaining govt permissions, getting police staff, than booking hotels for all stake holders. Cancelling all this ads to the cost, and broadcasting equipment cannot be shifted at the last minute.

PCB's at fault for schduling a game in karachi, but once schduled its on the karachi fans to turn up
Click to expand...
The PSL brand is being hurt far more than the cost of moving it.

These are the games that will be the most viewed and when someone tunes in to a dead atmosphere and empty stands - what kind of image does it portray?

Looks like a run of the mill competition!
 
Barragan said:
The PSL brand is being hurt far more than the cost of moving it.

These are the games that will be the most viewed and when someone tunes in to a dead atmosphere and empty stands - what kind of image does it portray?

Looks like a run of the mill competition!
Click to expand...
you cannot move a game mid tournament.

better scheduling needs to be done in advance.
 
PCB should just play the final tommorow on Sunday and get over with it. Tell IU to suck it up and play a back to back game. Better chances of getting a good crowd on Sunday vs Monday.
 
Seemed like the crowd grew into the second innings but the stadium was still at best half empty
 
Daren Sammy speaking about the crowd during a Peshawar Zalmi vs Islamabad United post-match presser

“Seeing cricket here in Pakistan is a beautiful thing. When the league started, it was all in Dubai, and we were able to win the very first final there. I urge Karachi to come out and support the finals because the crowd could be a lot better in Karachi. But what we have experienced in Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi is just beautiful. The fans deserve to see their heroes playing cricket. Big credit goes to PSL for the way it played a part in showing cricket to the fans and bringing some of the top players in the world here for the PSL. “​
 
I've been harsh on Karachi too at times but the reality is that if your premier sporting city is suffering from severe apathy in relation to your premier sporting product....it's not just their problem it's the PCBs.

PCB needs to do some serious market research to understand the motivators behind Karachi's lack of crowds and to understand what can be done to attract them to the stadium.

If the biggest city in Pakistan has lost interest then alarm bells should be ringing, because it could happen in other cities too.

There is a lot of theories here as to why the crowds are dead but the PCB needs to seriously try to get to the bottom of it.

Simply hosting games and hoping for the best doesn't seem to be working.
 
I think there is no point in criticizing Karachi for poor crowds when visiting the stadium feels like people are going to another country to watch a game.
 
Apparently the entire Karachi Journos walked out of the Multan presser because Nagi was rude towards them.

Big, Big mistake boys. These guys are like a pack of *****s, you should do your best as a cricketer or administrator to stay in their good books.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Rana said:
Apparently the entire Karachi Journos walked out of the Multan presser because Nagi was rude towards them.

Big, Big mistake boys. These guys are like a pack of hounds, you should do your best as a cricketer or administrator to stay in their good books.
Click to expand...
So everyone should bow to the Karachi Media Mafia?
 
Shukar Hai Karachites have kept some PSL izzat in the final.

PCB needs to engage with a market research, analysis firm why Karachites don't come to the stadium for all games. Even the KHI Lahore game was poorly attended.
 
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