We need more league cricket, not less

[DeadlyVenom]

Deep down, I am a cricket purist who loves Test match cricket and understands the importance of first class in this format. However, I am also a realist. I have made many posts detailing how test match and first-class cricket have no future in Pakistan.

T20 cricket is our only chance at being competitive in cricket, and it's probably the only cricket format that will exist in 10-15 years. This is why it is critical to the Pakistan team that we continue to grow, expand, and invest in T20 leagues. It will help secure the financial future of our cricket and develop more talent.

While some have voiced their concerns about the PSL and suggested a return to regular FC cricket for selection, I believe this is a misguided approach. In fact, we need to take a different path, one that champions T20 cricket and its potential for our cricket's future.

Furthermore, we should push our cricketers to play high-quality leagues and make deals with different boards to ensure our players get the chance. Most of our T20 players have developed by playing overseas. Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub and heck, even Azam Khan have benefited more from playing overseas than by toiling in our domestic structure. However, the leagues have to be of high quality - the Lanka Premier League and Banga Premier League won't cut it. We need our players to play in franchises in Indian-owned leagues (where possible), the 100 and the BBL.

With immediate effect I would try to implement the following:

Cut the QEA trophy and Presidents Cup. Make it a 16-team league in 4 groups playing concurrently. The top team from each group goes to the Semis. This would eliminate the never-ending Pak FC cycle and reduce the number of games.

Create regional divisional T20 leagues under the auspices of the PCB. They should try to model the English Football structure but with regional leagues for each province. Punjab Premier League, Sindh Premier League, etc, with only players from that region. This should be played for a whole season, with the top teams playing the national cup. As the leagues expand in each region, they can become multi-divisional. PSL exists separately from this set-up.

Have proper pitches and full boundary sizes in all leagues, including the PSL.

Introduce a short T10 franchise league using the PSL franchises. They can call it the Ramadan cup or whatever.

Allow players to play as many leagues as possible overseas. If it clashes with the cut-down FC domestic, it's no problem. If it clashes with the T20 bilateral, it can be assessed case-by-case. However, the priority should be to push talent out into the world, learn what the best in the business are doing and come back to Pakistan and implement it.

We are never going to produce Imrans or Miandads or Wasims again, but if we continue to pretend, we are a Test first-class powerhouse we may also never produce Afridis or Guls or Hafeez again. It's time to concentrate our resources, abandon these pipe dreams and focus on what we can potentially be good at.

 

[Energy]

The board needs to bend it's back and convince the BCCI to allow players in the IPL. Put your ego aside and beg in the right places.

Other leagues are inferior. The Sri Lankan, Bangladesh, CPL are below-par and there's nothing to gain out of them.

 

[mominsaigol]

Deep down, I am a cricket purist who loves test match cricket and understands the importance of first class in this format. However, I am also a realist. I have made many posts detailing how test match and first class cricket have no future in Pakistan.

T20 cricket is our only chance at being competitive in cricket, and it's probably the only cricket format that will exist in 10-15 years. This is why it is critical to the Pakistan team that we continue to grow, expand, and invest in T20 leagues. It will help secure the financial future of our cricket and develop more talent.

While some have voiced their concerns about the PSL and suggested a return to regular FC cricket for selection, I believe this is a misguided approach. In fact, we need to take a different path, one that champions T20 cricket and its potential for our cricket's future.

Furthermore, we should push our cricketers to play high-quality leagues and make deals with different boards to ensure our players get the chance. Most of our T20 players have developed by playing overseas. Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub and heck, even Azam Khan have benefited more from playing overseas than by toiling in our domestic structure. However, the leagues have to be of high quality - the Lanka Premier League and Banga Premier League won't cut it. We need our players to play in franchises in Indian-owned leagues ( where possible), the 100 and the BBL.

With imemdiate effect I would try to implement the following:

Cut the QEA trophy and Presidents Cup. Make it a 16-team league in 4 groups playing concurrently. The top team from each group goes to the Semis. This would eliminate the never-ending Pak FC cycle and reduce the number of games.

Create regional divisional T20 leagues under the auspices of the PCB. They should try to model the English Football structure but with regional leagues for each province. Punjab Premier League, Sindh Premier League, etc, with only players from that region. This should be played for a whole season, with the top teams playing the national cup. As the leagues expand in each region, they can become multi-divisional. PSL exists separately from this set-up.

Have proper pitches and full boundary sizes in all leagues, including the PSL.

Introduce a short T10 franchise league using the PSL franchises. They can call it the Ramadan cup or whatever.

Allow players to play as many leagues as possible overseas. If it clashes with the cut-down FC domestic, it's no problem. If it clashes with the T20 bilateral, it can be assessed case-by-case. However, the priority should be to push talent out into the world, learn what the best in the business are doing and come back to Pakistan and implement it.

We are never going to produce Imrans or Miandads or Wasims again, but if we continue to pretend we are a Test first class powehouse we may also never produce Afridis or Guls or Hafeez again. It's time to concentrate our resources, abandon these pipe dreams and focus on what we can potentially be good at.

We need psl back in UAE and back to the hybrid model as a start otherwise league is doing 100× more damage.

Cpl, IPl, and psl aren't proper leagues. Only big bash league is due to the pitches being bilo bounce and perfect prep for anyone to learn how Australian pitches work which are usually difficult to play

 

[DeadlyVenom]

We need psl back in UAE and back to the hybrid model as a start otherwise league is doing 100× more damage.

Cpl, IPl, and psl aren't proper leagues. Only big bash league is due to the pitches being bilo bounce and perfect prep for anyone to learn how Australian pitches work which are usually difficult to play

Going back to UAE takes Pakistan cricket back 1000 steps. It's not possible man. Whatever we end up doing has to be done in Pakistan only.

What's bilo bounce?

 

[mominsaigol]

Going back to UAE takes Pakistan cricket back 1000 steps. It's not possible man. Whatever we end up doing has to be done in Pakistan only.

What's bilo bounce?

Australian pitches are bouncy, we saw that with wahab vs Watson.

As for bilo bounce, it's a tennis term turned into a gen Z term

 

[Monday Morning]

PSL is a doomed league.

It's a Faisal Bank T20 with a smattering of third-rate foreign players. It's where Usman Khan and Imad Wasim look like world-beaters.

What Pakistan needs is more competitive bilateral fixtures - whatever the format. The only way Pakistan's cricketers are going to get better is by playing the best in the world, and I'm sorry to say, that ain't happening in the PSL.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Start sending A team and U19 team for away tours against big 4 and atleast 3 tours per year for each team excluding the home series for both A and U19 teams, that's the only way forward.

Make it manadatory for PSL to pick up 2 U19 players in the playing XI (one batter and one bowler/allrounder)

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Start sending A team and U19 team for away tours against big 4 and atleast 3 tours per year for each team excluding the home series for both A and U19 teams, that's the only way forward.

Make it manadatory for PSL to pick up 2 U19 players in the playing XI (one batter and one bowler/allrounder)

A good suggestion that we aren't following at all. Only brave young guns can save PCT future now.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

What the PCB should be doing is trying to get their future stars playing County Cricket, the standard of our domestic cricket is a shambles, if they can perform in England’s domestic league then they’ll be good enough to play for Pakistan.

 

[Master Blaster]

Will be good opportunity for players to develop their overall cricket skills by slog batting 4-5 overs a match and bowling 3-4 over a match.

 

[jnaveen1980]

U19 is the source of talent for India. Almost every single guy who is playing now were part of world cup under-19 team. Rishabh pant, Gill, Kohli, Rohit, Gill, Jaiswal, Arshdeep, Samson. It will continue to be the source. I have not seen any promising pak batsmen in under-19 in the last 4 editions. Most of them are hacks. Shafique is okayish by pak standard. But he is still not all format player.

 

[hassan918]

We need psl back in UAE and back to the hybrid model as a start otherwise league is doing 100× more damage.

Cpl, IPl, and psl aren't proper leagues. Only big bash league is due to the pitches being bilo bounce and perfect prep for anyone to learn how Australian pitches work which are usually difficult to play

Why would you want the PSL back in the UAE? The focus should be improving the pitches in Pakistan and bring in more top quality players. Also, play with a decent side boundaries, not with 55-60 meter tiny boundaries.

 

[ElRaja]

football shows having a great league is no guarantee of international success, if anything the emergence of the IPL has made the indian test team stronger because their major players dont go around playing every league under the sun. more league = better team is simplistic thinking, 10 years of PSL hasnt produced one t20 batsman, how will a longer league do that.

unless you go to grass roots, and upgrade coaching, and conditions at age grade level there is no chance for a age fudging tape ball tullazbaaz to learn batting in leagues.

paks success came when cricket was a semi pro sport, as soon as it got fully professionalized pak started falling behind. the board is an extension of the central government, and whether its imran or nawaz they are running it for their own entertainment. the board needs to be professionalized, top to bottom, and you might start having your team play professionally.

 

[shortbread]

Pakistan's players have found refuge and comfort in the ease of T20 cricket that with time they're even finding this format extremely challenging as opponents progress. The likes of Aamir, Rauf huff and puff their way through 4 overs as if they're bowling the second innings of a test match, Azam Khan's fitness is now a standard that can be accommodated because it's only 20 overs after all, batsmen who have minimal technique or application but have been named because they can apparently hoick the ball, Imad cannot run quick singles or field because his body can just about manage 4 overs of slow bowling....

This team isn't good enough for international cricket, they just about survive T20s. The format has simply lowered standards for Pakistan cricket.

The likes of Starc, Cummins, Kohli, Bumrah etc are multi format players who after the grind of playing the longer formats are mentally and physically prepared for T20s. The likes of Azam Khan who just about survive T20s cannot even dream of playing 50 over cricket, let alone Tests.

T20s have promoted the rapid regression of the team. Issue is now more players want to find comfort in T20s than face the challenges of the longer formats.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

What the PCB should be doing is trying to get their future stars playing County Cricket, the standard of our domestic cricket is a shambles, if they can perform in England’s domestic league then they’ll be good enough to play for Pakistan.

This is an absurd suggestion. If you need to rely on players getting accepted into foreign leagues then your progress is already out of your own hands. If Pakistan domestic cricket infrastructure is so poor then maybe we should just accept Pakistan doesn't belong in top tier international cricket. The players are actually a true reflection of their sports culture which is fine. You can't expect professional results from an amateur set up.

Times have moved on and Pakistan sports are still living in the 1990s. Pakistan fans might just need to accept this and lower their expectations.

 

[shortbread]

What the PCB should be doing is trying to get their future stars playing County Cricket, the standard of our domestic cricket is a shambles, if they can perform in England’s domestic league then they’ll be good enough to play for Pakistan.

It's not like county cricket has a lot of open spaces that are desperate for foreign talent. The requirement is very limited and even if a vacancy arises, one is competing with the best in the world. Many of the Aussie and Indian internationals actually accept positions in division 2 clubs. It's highly competitive and 95% of the players will not make the cut even if PCB pushed their case.

 

[Cric_lover4487]

Leagues can only give you global exposure but not develop you as a player. I already hate the fact that Amir,Azam, Imad are playing T20WC just because there is no league going on right now. Once T20 WC is over they will be back playing leagues showing finger to PCB.

 

[shortbread]

Leagues can only give you global exposure but not develop you as a player. I already hate the fact that Amir,Azam, Imad are playing T20WC just because there is no league going on right now. Once T20 WC is over they will be back playing leagues showing finger to PCB.

Sorry to disagree, this whole global exposure thing is absolute bollocks! Azam has exposure to CPL means nothing when he faces top tier International bowlers. He had zero idea about that Wood delivery, nothing whatsoever. Most tailenders would have looked far less humiliating than that. The quality of cricket played is far more important than the quantity or geography.

 

[Cric_lover4487]

Sorry to disagree, this whole global exposure thing is absolute bollocks! Azam has exposure to CPL means nothing when he faces top tier International bowlers. He had zero idea about that Wood delivery, nothing whatsoever. Most tailenders would have looked far less humiliating than that. The quality of cricket played is far more important than the quantity or geography.

Who will judge quality of cricket? Every country claims their league is best. No fan will admit his favorite league is inferior in quality. Even cricketers claim best league is one in which they get picked to play. Its going football way. Ruben Nevez, Benzama all my favorite players are playing Saudi league over European football. I hate it but it is what it is.

 

[Usman Chadda]

football shows having a great league is no guarantee of international success, if anything the emergence of the IPL has made the indian test team stronger because their major players dont go around playing every league under the sun. more league = better team is simplistic thinking, 10 years of PSL hasnt produced one t20 batsman, how will a longer league do that.

unless you go to grass roots, and upgrade coaching, and conditions at age grade level there is no chance for a age fudging tape ball tullazbaaz to learn batting in leagues.

paks success came when cricket was a semi pro sport, as soon as it got fully professionalized pak started falling behind. the board is an extension of the central government, and whether its imran or nawaz they are running it for their own entertainment. the board needs to be professionalized, top to bottom, and you might start having your team play professionally.

I would vote this as Post of the Week. Absolutely spot on.

We don't have a professional board and neither do we have professional cricketers. Either side is happy existing in this circle of mediocrity. Our captain is happy promoting himself, despite the team winning absolutely nothing. Then we get buffoons like Zaka Ashraf, who time and again come in for their own benefits ONLY and destroy the team for their own sake.

Our team doesn't utilize data-based analysis, which is an integral part of professional sports at the moment. Mohammad Wasim is on record saying Babar does not listen to data analysts, neither does he consider anyone's opinion worthy since apparently he is the one answerable.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

football shows having a great league is no guarantee of international success, if anything the emergence of the IPL has made the indian test team stronger because their major players dont go around playing every league under the sun. more league = better team is simplistic thinking, 10 years of PSL hasnt produced one t20 batsman, how will a longer league do that.

unless you go to grass roots, and upgrade coaching, and conditions at age grade level there is no chance for a age fudging tape ball tullazbaaz to learn batting in leagues.

paks success came when cricket was a semi pro sport, as soon as it got fully professionalized pak started falling behind. the board is an extension of the central government, and whether its imran or nawaz they are running it for their own entertainment. the board needs to be professionalized, top to bottom, and you might start having your team play professionally.

The IPL has strengthened the Indian test because the BCCI invests its fortunes back into domestic cricket. This is happening at the same time that almost every board ( apart from Aus and maybe Eng) is moving away from test cricket. Yes India has strengthened but in the words of @Technics 1210 when he discusses Arsenal - they are on top because of attrition elsewhere.

Pakistan is in a confused state. Our cricket structure is still geared toward long-format cricket, but our international cricket can't support it, nor does our public care about it.

The PCB needs to cut its losses. Think of it as a loss making business with multiple divisions, with only one division ( T20 cricket) having enough merit to be viable in the future. What's the point of dumping cash and resources in other areas where we cannot be competitive? The players have no appetite, and the public doesn't really give a hoot about either.

So, yes, the PCB needs to be professionalised, but its focus must be on developing a structure that can make us one of the best LOIs ( particularly T20 sides in the world).

 

[shortbread]

The IPL has strengthened the Indian test because the BCCI invests its fortunes back into domestic cricket. This is happening at the same time that almost every board ( apart from Aus and maybe Eng) is moving away from test cricket. Yes India has strengthened but in the words of @Technics 1210 when he discusses Arsenal - they are on top because of attrition elsewhere.

Pakistan is in a confused state. Our cricket structure is still geared toward long-format cricket, but our international cricket can't support it, nor does our public care about it.

The PCB needs to cut its losses. Think of it as a loss making business with multiple divisions, with only one division ( T20 cricket) having enough merit to be viable in the future. What's the point of dumping cash and resources in other areas where we cannot be competitive? The players have no appetite, and the public doesn't really give a hoot about either.

So, yes, the PCB needs to be professionalised, but its focus must be on developing a structure that can make us one of the best LOIs ( particularly T20 sides in the world).

It's a good domestic structure that supplies the players for these leagues and not the other way around. ECB, ACB, BCCI could easily cut their losses by getting rid of domestic cricket and simply run lucrative franchise leagues, but where will the players come from? What you will end up with is recruiting players on a hunch and watch them implode in international cricket.

 

[ElRaja]

The IPL has strengthened the Indian test because the BCCI invests its fortunes back into domestic cricket. This is happening at the same time that almost every board ( apart from Aus and maybe Eng) is moving away from test cricket. Yes India has strengthened but in the words of @Technics 1210 when he discusses Arsenal - they are on top because of attrition elsewhere.

Pakistan is in a confused state. Our cricket structure is still geared toward long-format cricket, but our international cricket can't support it, nor does our public care about it.

The PCB needs to cut its losses. Think of it as a loss making business with multiple divisions, with only one division ( T20 cricket) having enough merit to be viable in the future. What's the point of dumping cash and resources in other areas where we cannot be competitive? The players have no appetite, and the public doesn't really give a hoot about either.

So, yes, the PCB needs to be professionalised, but its focus must be on developing a structure that can make us one of the best LOIs ( particularly T20 sides in the world).

t20 specialism may be the future, but as it is many of the major teams are still centred around a lot players developed in all formats, who come into their own when conditions are a bit tricky. if the future of the sport is to be completely standardised, then the t20 specialist route makes sense, however as long as their is variability of conditions their will always be value for technical specialists, and technique is only developed in long format cricket.

i have no problem with pak focusing purely on one format, however that will yield no benefits as long as the system is broken. as i said, ten years of psl, and not one stand out batting star, even if i grant that the premise of your argument is correct, the PSL and the Pakistani set up as a whole will make it fail.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

LOL we have players getting their central contracts cancelled and players being called home from leagues eventhough they are not playing for Pakistan, simply because they went above their NOC limit.

Leagues cab be very helpful to our players. But the PCB doesn't have the brain to come up with a strategy. I'm sure their argument will be that players are prioritizing money over country because those are the binaries they think in. Eventhough bilateral T20 series are the most useless and meaningless thing in international cricket. If you are playing anything less than your B team in those matches you are an idiot.

The only way to do something is if the players establish their own player's association. An incompetent organization like the PCB shouldn't be allowed to bully players just because they can.

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

LOL we have players getting their central contracts cancelled and players being called home from leagues eventhough they are not playing for Pakistan, simply because they went above their NOC limit.

Leagues cab be very helpful to our players. But the PCB doesn't have the brain to come up with a strategy. I'm sure their argument will be that players are prioritizing money over country because those are the binaries they think in. Eventhough bilateral T20 series are the most useless and meaningless thing in international cricket. If you are playing anything less than your B team in those matches you are an idiot.

The only way to do something is if the players establish their own player's association. An incompetent organization like the PCB shouldn't be allowed to bully players just because they can.

You think a players association would fly in a country like Pakistan?

They would get exiled from the country if they even thought of the idea.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

You think a players association would fly in a country like Pakistan?

They would get exiled from the country if they even thought of the idea.

It needs to happen. PCB has been allowed to get away with their mismanagement and emotional blackmailing of players for far too long. With franchise cricket becoming as lucrative as it is becoming and limited-overs cricket becoming largely meaningless outside the ICC tournaments, players need more freedom to peruse other opportunities. And PCB isn't nice enough to just accord them that freedom. You have to take it from them.