Why Pakistan does not need the PSL?

[Zee1989]

I am certain that you have heard about PSL being the best option for Pakistan moving forward. But I think we need to step back. It might seem like a cricketing crown jewel, but a closer look suggests Pakistan would be better off without it. Here’s why.

First up , PSL undermines the domestic first-class system, like the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. T20’s glitz pulls young players away from red-ball cricket, where real skill and temperament is forged. Our side has struggled deeply in red-ball format —think of the 2024 home series losses to England and Bangladesh of all people, a first time ever on both accounts—partly because emerging talents prioritize six-hitting over building innings and it is not even doing that well for us. We have lost almost all of bilateral series in last 4 years apart from Ireland and Zimbabwe. The PSL’s February-March window disrupts the domestic season (I know this year we are playing in April), leaving first-class cricket as an afterthought. Without a strong Test pipeline, we’re gambling our international reputation for short-term T20 hype.

Second, the finances don’t add up. The PCB pours millions into the PSL, Just look at its Last year's financial reports (available on PCB website) —venues, security, marketing—yet franchises often operate at a loss, relying on subsidies. In 2023, reports pegged the league’s revenue at around $50 million, but costs, including foreign player fees and logistics, eat most of that. Compare this to IPL, which thrives on a massive market Pakistan can’t replicate (Market size is miles short). Instead of funneling cash into a shaky league, why not invest in grassroots academies, better pitches, or coaching? The return would be sustainable, not a flashy money pit.

Third, global scheduling is a nightmare. The IPL’s 2025 shift to March-April overlaps with PSL’s slot, meaning top overseas stars—think Rashid Khan or Jos Buttler—will ditch PSL for IPL’s heftier paychecks. Last year, PSL 9 lost big names like James Vince mid-season to other leagues. Without international flair, PSL risks becoming a second-tier event, exposing its fragility. Why cling to a league that can’t compete? Why Can't we be happy watching our Players in other leagues building their skills. Ever since PSL we have not produced any solid talent just hype creating social media personalities.

Finally, security and logistics remain a headache. Hosting in Pakistan requires massive state support—armed convoys, road closures—disrupting daily life and costing taxpayers. Foreign players still hesitate, recalling the 2009 Lahore attack, and incidents like the 2022 Karachi bombing near a PSL venue don’t help. Is the prestige worth the strain?

PSL feels like a vanity project when Pakistan cricket needs substance: a robust domestic structure, financial stability, and a focus on Real cricketing Skill set across all formats, even our T20 cricket has no hard hitters despite our supposed focus on the format. Ditch the fireworks—build a future instead.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

PSL exists for the people of Pakistan. It is a festival of cricket whose primary aim is to provide entertainment. The target audience for this tournament is not the hardcore cricket fan, but the average viewer who may not even watch cricket religiously. It doesn't matter if the best foreign players are there or not. Their purpose is to elevate the standards and level of professionalism of the league.

Seems like if someone like you was in-charge of our cricket, we would still be playing international cricket in the UAE. Also, what prestige exactly are you trying to protect?

The most deluded of all your assumptions though is assuming that the PCB will actually fix Pakistan's domestic structure if the PSL isn't there. I don't know if you started watching cricket yesterday but it sure seems that way.

 

[Zee1989]

PSL exists for the people of Pakistan. It is a festival of cricket whose primary aim is to provide entertainment. The target audience for this tournament is not the hardcore cricket fan, but the average viewer who may not even watch cricket religiously. It doesn't matter if the best foreign players are there or not. Their purpose is to elevate the standards and level of professionalism of the league.

Seems like if someone like you was in-charge of our cricket, we would still be playing international cricket in the UAE. Also, what prestige exactly are you trying to protect?

The most deluded of all your assumptions though is assuming that the PCB will actually fix Pakistan's domestic structure if the PSL isn't there. I don't know if you started watching cricket yesterday but it sure seems that way.

Seems to me like you have no interest in cricket whatsoever , you're in it for the theatrics. The empty stadiums tell you how great PSL management is at reaching and resonating with its target audience and a festival of cricket???? Pakistan's local T20 tournament was much better at attracting audiences, generating revenue and producing talent than this League full if 3rd Tier or Retired or near retirement International players who could not get in to IPL, just look at Corbin Bosch, as soon as he got the chance, he fled. That is the cruel reality of capitalism. Also I never assumed that PCB would fix domestic structure. I know they can because it was good before Ramiz and Idiot Khan bulldozed it all. Do you know how many local players lost their source of income and were forced to let go of their passion? PSL has only been good at one thing, giving better money to our players which they obviously deserve, but that can be achieved by allowing them to participate in other leagues. Again, I am not saying this will happen. Just that it was a bad idea and now it is just ego servicing. If I was in-charge of cricket, Nah bro. I have no political connections to be part of PCB, neither am I part of any player's cult. Wanna hear a harsh reality. Our team was way better when we played at UAE as our home.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Seems to me like you have no interest in cricket whatsoever , you're in it for the theatrics. The empty stadiums tell you how great PSL management is at reaching and resonating with its target audience and a festival of cricket???? Pakistan's local T20 tournament was much better at attracting audiences, generating revenue and producing talent than this League full if 3rd Tier or Retired or near retirement International players who could not get in to IPL, just look at Corbin Bosch, as soon as he got the chance, he fled. That is the cruel reality of capitalism. Also I never assumed that PCB would fix domestic structure. I know they can because it was good before Ramiz and Idiot Khan bulldozed it all. Do you know how many local players lost their source of income and were forced to let go of their passion? PSL has only been good at one thing, giving better money to our players which they obviously deserve, but that can be achieved by allowing them to participate in other leagues. Again, I am not saying this will happen. Just that it was a bad idea and now it is just ego servicing. If I was in-charge of cricket, Nah bro. I have no political connections to be part of PCB, neither am I part of any player's cult. Wanna hear a harsh reality. Our team was way better when we played at UAE as our home.

Empty stadiums? Which alternate reality are you living in? Karachi is the only city that regularly has poor turnouts for PSL matches and that stands true for international matches too.

Also, that's a complete lie. Why don't you share an exact revenue comparison of Champions Cup and the PSL?

Your argument makes absolutely no sense. The PSL is one of the only ways the PCB has the potential of generating some revenue in the future, otherwise they would be completely dependant on their ICC share. On top of that PSL is one of the few ways to unearth talent by giving them a national spotlight. No average viewer has the time or gives a damn about a match between two teams named after random animals. And incase you were living under a rock, Pak players have been blackballed from most t20 leagues in the world.

Again, you are seeing things from your own perspective. This isn't about you. You need to understand that. The people of Pakistan want to see PSL. The people of Pakistan want to see international cricket on their own soil. If you don't like the quality of foreign players in the PSL or the product itself then don't watch it.

But please don't pretend to speak for the rest of us. We very much enjoy PSL and don't care if Jos Buttler and Travis Head are not playing in this league.

 

[cricfan432]

Entertainment aside we need it scout talent, because given parching system only PSL highlights the talent

 

[Dr_Bassim]

The problem is not PSL.

The problem is despite IPL, the Ranji Trophy is the benchmark where Indian players need to perform to be picked.

Pakistan is making the mistake of throwing PSL players to the wolves and not caring about first class.

That wont yield results.

PSL should simply be an entertainer and revenue generating league and not a replacement for domestic first class cricket.

 

[Local.Dada]

Why wouldn’t Pakistan need PSL? Pakistan is a cricket crazy nation. Cricketers especially the top ones are super-celebrities.

Yeah delusions like grandeur like we will beat IPL, PSL is better or even the thought of competing with IPL is ridiculous. However I think it’s only a micro-minority on the forum.

However PSL is good for Pakistan cricket. Will motivate youngsters to take up the sport and good opportunity for all the youngsters out there trying to make a career.

 

[Local.Dada]

The problem is despite IPL, the Ranji Trophy is the benchmark where Indian players need to perform to be picked.

Pakistan is making the mistake of throwing PSL players to the wolves and not caring about first class.

It’s not that straight forward. Even in India a lot of players who see they have no future in red ball, focus on becoming white ball specialists to play IPL or T20I where the money is.

Players who don’t have that white ball game focus on Ranji and domestics.

This is not a BCCi is rich type of post but it is a fact that playing Ranji might not be as lucrative as IPL but players can still make a decent living.

On top of that plenty of coaching opportunities, broadcast opportunities are available post retirement .

If playing international cricket and PSL are the only 2 ways to make a good living, why would a player focus on domestics. In fact there might be a risk of injury, fatigue which might make the player lose an international or PSL slot.

The insecurity is a huge factor.

Players in subcontinent play for passion mostly and probably would play the game everyday for free but once it becomes a career/ profession a lot of other factors come into play.

 

[saimayubera]

Makes no sense.

Using that logic only Argentina, Brazil and a few other European countries should have leagues cause they are the only ones who can win a football WC.

But football clubs are still followed all around the world even if the national team might never win a WC or the quality of the league is not as good as the main European leagues.

 

[Devadwal]

The problem is not PSL.

The problem is despite IPL, the Ranji Trophy is the benchmark where Indian players need to perform to be picked.

Pakistan is making the mistake of throwing PSL players to the wolves and not caring about first class.

That wont yield results.

PSL should simply be an entertainer and revenue generating league and not a replacement for domestic first class cricket.

+1 and Pakistan selected PSL player's just after one good season. Best example - Usman khan

 

[Zee1989]

Empty stadiums? Which alternate reality are you living in? Karachi is the only city that regularly has poor turnouts for PSL matches and that stands true for international matches too.

Also, that's a complete lie. Why don't you share an exact revenue comparison of Champions Cup and the PSL?

Your argument makes absolutely no sense. The PSL is one of the only ways the PCB has the potential of generating some revenue in the future, otherwise they would be completely dependant on their ICC share. On top of that PSL is one of the few ways to unearth talent by giving them a national spotlight. No average viewer has the time or gives a damn about a match between two teams named after random animals. And incase you were living under a rock, Pak players have been blackballed from most t20 leagues in the world.

Again, you are seeing things from your own perspective. This isn't about you. You need to understand that. The people of Pakistan want to see PSL. The people of Pakistan want to see international cricket on their own soil. If you don't like the quality of foreign players in the PSL or the product itself then don't watch it.

But please don't pretend to speak for the rest of us. We very much enjoy PSL and don't care if Jos Buttler and Travis Head are not playing in this league.

Fair point I did not assume to speak for everyone. Still, 2024 season of PSL alone faced notably poor turnouts, especially in Karachi and Rawalpindi, Despite Islamabad United’s thrilling final win, many matches had near-empty stands. A 17% drop in ticket sales was reported, costing PCB and franchises significant revenue. Scheduling conflicts with other T20 leagues did not help, pulling star players away. Stop with the emotional appeal of How it can be cash cow in future, talk about the massive cash it is bleeding right now. PCB financial reports have raised red flags about PSL’s profitability. The revenue-sharing model is a big issue—franchises get up to 95% of the central pool, leaving the PCB with scraps, sometimes as low as 5%. Losses are piling up, like PKR 1.6 billion in one season alone, because franchises get bigger cuts from media rights (80%), sponsorships (40%), and tickets (90%). That’s a lopsided deal, and it’s been eating into the PCB’s wallet, especially when you factor in extra costs. Whether PSL is bad for Pakistan cricket, that’s a tougher one. I could argue it’s a drain—those losses mean less cash for domestic development, infrastructure, or youth programs. The focus on T20 razzle-dazzle might also pull attention from Test cricket, which Pakistan needs to stay competitive globally. If the PCB’s banking on a shaky league, it risks the whole ecosystem. But there’s another side. The PSL’s still a stage for unearthing gems—think Haris Rauf or Ihsanullah—who might’ve stayed buried in domestic obscurity. It’s also brought international cricket back home, proving Pakistan’s safe for big games, which is huge for morale and revenue beyond just PSL. Even if it’s not perfect, it’s a brand that keeps cricket alive in the public eye, and that’s not nothing when global leagues blackball Pakistani players. But we also have to consider why we are being blackballed? It is not only because of BCCI's influence (though that is a major contributor) but also because our players just can not compete at elite levels. Be it Babar the paper king or Shaheen the ex-falcon or Haris the misdirected speed gun, they just can not perform optimally. I also enjoy PSL but it just doesn't seem worth it specially when it is destroying grass roots cricket and gives undeserved stardom to players to in turn stop working hard. Babar has not played Quaid-e-Azam trophy since 2019 because he is a big shot now. So you can cry all night long about how patriotic you are and how you love PSL, it will not change the fact that if we keep at it, we will end up like Zimbabwe, only a filler for ICC events not a competitor.

 

[Zee1989]

+1 and Pakistan selected PSL player's just after one good season. Best example - Usman khan

Absolutely my point. May be we can find common ground if we give more weight to our Local tournaments. Domestic cricket is the forge of real cricketers after all.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

People need to diffrentiate between formats. If our T20 players can barely play modern cricket on what basis would we select them based on their performance in QEA trophy.

Pakistan absolutely needs the PSL but it needs to make it better and more competitive. Some small actions would be to stop the national T20 cup and Champions Cup so their exclusivity around PSL. Right now if you want to see Shaheen or Babar play you can see them in a lot of tournaments worldwide but also in Pakistan.

We also should conduct market research to understand what will attract viewers to become long term loyalists of the franchises. My gut feeling is that the teams have no local identity and the lack of player retention makes it difficult to build up a fan base. We also need to try to understand how the in stadium experience can be improved to maximise spectators.

Rather than removing the PSL we should think of ways to strengthen it and make it the center of Pakistan cricket.

Domestic cricket (FC and LA) does need to be improved - Imran tried it and the whole country cried about it. It is too bloated and there is too many vested interests to allow it become robust. Rather than focus on it too much that resource should be spent on the PSL.

Just make it the only domestic T20 league and chop the others.

 

[Zee1989]

Makes no sense.

Using that logic only Argentina, Brazil and a few other European countries should have leagues cause they are the only ones who can win a football WC.

But football clubs are still followed all around the world even if the national team might never win a WC or the quality of the league is not as good as the main European leagues.

Totally different world bro. You should know that these two models are as different as Day and Night. Football thrives on leagues, International Football is a distraction it is even called "An International Break". Some fans consider Worldcup less important than UCL or Club World cup.

 

[Savak]

PSL is the only source of pride for the nation at the moment. Its perhaps the only time when people forget about all their troubles and the problems plaguing the nation with everyone's focus on cricket. I remember once we were in precarious war like situation with India but everyone from the fans, media were so hooked on to the PSL that no one was bothered what was going on with our tensions with India in 2019. That's what the PSL means to the people of Pakistan.

 

[Zee1989]

Totally different world bro. You should know that these two models are as different as Day and Night. Football thrives on leagues, International Football is a distraction it is even called "An International Break". Some fans consider Worldcup less important than UCL or Club World cup.

Totally different world bro. You should know that these two models are as different as Day and Night. Football thrives on leagues, International Football is a distraction it is even called "An International Break". Some fans consider Worldcup less important than UCL or Club World cup.

People need to diffrentiate between formats. If our T20 players can barely play modern cricket on what basis would we select them based on their performance in QEA trophy.

Pakistan absolutely needs the PSL but it needs to make it better and more competitive. Some small actions would be to stop the national T20 cup and Champions Cup so their exclusivity around PSL. Right now if you want to see Shaheen or Babar play you can see them in a lot of tournaments worldwide but also in Pakistan.

We also should conduct market research to understand what will attract viewers to become long term loyalists of the franchises. My gut feeling is that the teams have no local identity and the lack of player retention makes it difficult to build up a fan base. We also need to try to understand how the in stadium experience can be improved to maximise spectators.

Rather than removing the PSL we should think of ways to strengthen it and make it the center of Pakistan cricket.

Domestic cricket (FC and LA) does need to be improved - Imran tried it and the whole country cried about it. It is too bloated and there is too many vested interests to allow it become robust. Rather than focus on it too much that resource should be spent on the PSL.

Just make it the only domestic T20 league and chop the others.

Imran tried to improve it????? What rock were you living under? Imran destroyed it. Destoryed livelihood of so many cricketers, not the big names, the domestic ones. He just wanted to copy Australia, without even studying their system and how it thrives, which is offcourse typical of him. And it is typical of brainless to follow him because they can not think for themselves they need a fuhrer to order them around.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Najam Sethi uncle gave his life to PSL project. For his sake we must honour it.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Imran tried to improve it????? What rock were you living under? Imran destroyed it. Destoryed livelihood of so many cricketers, not the big names, the domestic ones. He just wanted to copy Australia, without even studying their system and how it thrives, which is offcourse typical of him. And it is typical of brainless to follow him because they can not think for themselves they need a fuhrer to order them around.

Systems can be refined. The idea was right but the expectation was wrong. There is no need to hurl insults and call people brainless. I mean if I am being honest I don't think I have seen a more brainless suggestion than getting rid of the PSL but out of politeness I refrained from saying it.

Is the intention of cricket to provide livelihoods or producr players. If you think it's to provide livelihoods which you clearly stated then it's even more brainless to get rid of PSL.

 

[RyanRyan10]

Najam Sethi uncle gave his life to PSL project. For his sake we must honour it.

Sethi incle also brought international cricket back to Pakistan

 

[saimayubera]

Totally different world bro. You should know that these two models are as different as Day and Night. Football thrives on leagues, International Football is a distraction it is even called "An International Break". Some fans consider Worldcup less important than UCL or Club World cup.

With the way things are going I wouldn't be surprised if cricket is like that it in 20-30 years.