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Your thoughts on standard of PSL X (so far)

Ball Blazer

Ball Blazer

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PSL 2025 is in full swing and 17 matches are already done and dusted!

What are your thoughts so far on the standard of PSL X? Has it lived up to the hype?

Let's discuss!
 
Even though the quality of the foreign players has been better this time, the hype has been missing overall from the people in general mainly because of the poor performance of the national team and its players. Being held at the same time as the IPL has not helped matters either.
 
The tournament has been fine. There has been some good performances and some people who have put up their hands for NT selection.

I have came to the conclusion that much of the problems with the tournaments are due to the wrist slitting attitude of Pakistani fans. Rather than take in the action Infront of them and also differentiate between league and international cricket they would rather slit their wrists, put down any good performances because they dislike players, make random unnecessary comparisons to IPL and generally just slap their own faces in fake grief.

No league can grow in such a fan base.
 
I do not need to compare IPL vs. PSL as it's a pointless exercise & the claims of people that are either "We are not even close to it" or "PSL has better fast bowling" etc. are both to be taken with a pinch a salt & best ignored. There's one thing that is missing from PSL & that's entertainment. Quality does not equate to entertainment jbtw, an under 14 cricket match can also be entertaining despite being low on quality. The issue with PSL this year is that there are simply no close finishes, or matches that even last 36 overs or so. One team bats first and the other team folds within the first six overs. There has only been one close match & now that half of the matches are gone, this is a terrible thing to have. I do not like PCB for reasons beyond cricket but I do support our cricket and putting a spectacle is important & we don't have that.

My other gripe is PSL not changing rules that are damaging the quality of cricket & selecting washed up players in the draft. There's no need to have emerging category in the team, squad yes, put two of them there but when they are forced to play in the team it just creates teams that are playing with ten players. If you are like nah, we need to have emerging player in the team no matter what then put a stipulation that you need to play one in 5 matches at max or loosen the criteria for emerging players a bit. IPL has a substitute rule to encourage fearless cricket & we are reducing our teams to ten. Also, so much lip service was paid by team owners on PSL stagnating and whatnot but then the main instigator went ahead and selected Shai Hope & Josh Little.

Lastly, the fans haven't turned up to watch the cricket & without fans it's just not the same environment. NSK looked like as if we are still in the covid era, Lahore is barely full for neutral matches despite the fact that they are all Pakistani players, & Multan has been a major disappointment. We don't need to downplay PSL, it's what it is but it's just not vibing as much as it should.

I hope the next few matches and knockouts are able to add some shine to the tournament, if it ends well, we'll forget the lackluster start.
 
2.25 /5 , no extraordinary performance so far apart from one century by Sahibzada , similar no bowlers terrified a set of batsmen
 
Sometimes I find the fans on here quite annoying with their negativity and just thoughtless comments.

The important thing about the PSL is that it’s happening at all and appears to have a good mix of young talent outshining the established players. I’m loving the fact that Ali Raza has as many wickets as SSA and Babar looks clueless while Shahibzada Farhan is outshining him. There’s been swing for the bowlers some good international picks and good strategies on display. Working out tactics against spin use of power hitting and ramp shots. We need more of that in the national team

In the initial games the teams looked really rusty with combinations not quite worked out. But as it progresses it good to see around 3 teams that are competing for the 2nd 3rd spots. The competition is getting tighter and more competitive. Some international players like Warner and alzari Joseph really look like they are anchoring their teams.

The lack of crowds are disappointing and we need to move away from airheads like Zainab Abbas. Really could do with some established international presenters. Tired of hearing Ramiz, urooj, zainab and aamir shohail. They are genuinely out dated now.
 
Apparently one of Multan’s scheduled home games shifted to Lahore without consultation with Ali Tareen.

He’s been crying about this too. Need more clarity now on the schedule
 
Abid Z said:
Sometimes I find the fans on here quite annoying with their negativity and just thoughtless comments.

The important thing about the PSL is that it’s happening at all and appears to have a good mix of young talent outshining the established players. I’m loving the fact that Ali Raza has as many wickets as SSA and Babar looks clueless while Shahibzada Farhan is outshining him. There’s been swing for the bowlers some good international picks and good strategies on display. Working out tactics against spin use of power hitting and ramp shots. We need more of that in the national team

In the initial games the teams looked really rusty with combinations not quite worked out. But as it progresses it good to see around 3 teams that are competing for the 2nd 3rd spots. The competition is getting tighter and more competitive. Some international players like Warner and alzari Joseph really look like they are anchoring their teams.

The lack of crowds are disappointing and we need to move away from airheads like Zainab Abbas. Really could do with some established international presenters. Tired of hearing Ramiz, urooj, zainab and aamir shohail. They are genuinely out dated now.
Click to expand...

Getting well established international presenters and commentators will be tough if the PCB continues to hold the PSL in the same slot as IPL. This year, the PSL foreign roster has been the best for a while because of the fact there is no international cricket in the IPL window and the foreign players were unpicked by the IPL.
 
PSL is too long. Stick to 6 teams and have more double headers and zero off days in league stage unlike today.
 
Savak said:
Getting well established international presenters and commentators will be tough if the PCB continues to hold the PSL in the same slot as IPL. This year, the PSL foreign roster has been the best for a while because of the fact there is no international cricket in the IPL window and the foreign players were unpicked by the IPL.
Click to expand...
They don’t have to be current ones. David Gower really added some Gravitas in previous editions. I think if they look hard enough they will find the right ones but anybody is better than ramiz, amir, urooj and zainab. Basit is ok. Wasim and waqar I don’t mind but they could really turn the showbiz element up a notch. Have some poor guy running a sprint or drinking tapal tea is not showbiz. I do that everyday.
 
Biggest disappointment so far is Multan Sultan bowling performances. Bowling was always their strength in previous tournaments
 
Not gonna say that standards are good or bad. It was usual for me... Nothing much has changed TBH. PSL management has to bring some new stuff next time.
 
HBL PSL reaches a major milestone with completion of 300 matches

The HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) has reached a major milestone as it turned 300 matches old as the Quetta Gladiators took on Multan Sultans at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday evening.

The Gladiators have been part of the first and 300th HBL PSL games and reaped victories on both the occasions. The first ever HBL PSL fixture took place on 4 February 2016 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Across the 10 seasons and in 300 exciting matches, the HBL PSL has provided the fans across Pakistan and around the globe an opportunity to witness the best of the best cricketers in action.

Babar Azam, who has featured in all 10 seasons and taken the most catches (49), holds the record for most runs in the league history with 3,621 runs to date in 96 matches, which is also a record for most HBL PSL games played by an individual. The right-hand batter also holds the record for most half-centuries (34) and 401 fours in HBL PSL history.

Hasan Ali has taken the most wickets in HBL PSL history with a tally of 121 scalps in 88 matches. In the 300-match history of Pakistan’s premier cricket extravaganza, England’s Jason Roy holds the record for highest individual innings – 145 v Peshawar Zalmi in 2023, Fakhar Zaman has hit the most sixes – 117 in 90 matches, while Ravi Bopara’s 6-16 from season 1 remains the best individual bowling performance.

Among the wicket-keepers Mohammad Rizwan takes the lead with 84 dismissals and 2,749 runs. Former Quetta Gladiators’ skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed holds the record for most matches as captain (80) and most wins (38). On the Umpiring front, Aleem Dar, who is set to retire from professional Umpiring at the end of this season has officiated the most HBL PSL games – 81 in 10 seasons.

No. of matches played by each franchise:

Peshawar Zalmi 110

Islamabad United 105

Karachi Kings 101

Lahore Qalandars 100

Quetta Gladiators 98

Multan Sultans 86

Salman Naseer, CEO HBL PSL:

“We are incredibly proud to have witnessed the 300th match of the HBL PSL history. The HBL PSL has never looked back after taking off in 2016 and its success throughout the whole decade is a testament to the quality of cricket on display and utmost confidence of the fans and players alike on the brand.

“I congratulate each and everyone who has been involved with the HBL PSL in any capacity during these ten years especially the fans, franchises, commercial and services partners. It is because of their commitment that the league continues to grow, prosper and entertain us all season after season.”

Source: PCB
 
We have a lot of highly marketable tv actresses. Why doesn't the PSL consider them for PSL presenting duties? Like do something different i.e. pay top dollar and request Dananeer to be a compere in one season, Ayeza Khan in the next season, Hania Amir in the third season. A lot of young upcoming aspiring actresses and models will then push themselves to get this sort of a role in the PSL and that will be good for competition and their careers later on. Imagine if people perceive being involved in the PSL as a pathway to fame and good fortune in the Pakistani entertainment industry.

I guarantee you this will shoot up the eye balls. Atleast it will be something different every year which is what the audience wants rather than the same Zainab, Urooj, Ellen, Dominic Cork, Mark Butcher, Ramiz, Waqar e.t.c. every year.

The concept is lost on the PCB that doing the same thing again and again every year only promotes stagnation.
 
Going good so far... i think in this edition bowlers are dominating for batters things are tough!
 
When you watch young Indian batting talent that comes through every year in the IPL, in comparison you don't really see any where close to the same kind of quality in the Pakistani batting line up. Even Saim Ayub is terribly inconsistent, the South African series was an anomaly.

Crowds come to watch big hitting and thats why Shahid Afridi was an instant crowd puller on his best days. Unless we see the same kind of local batting talent in the PSL, crowds will be put off most of the time.
 
To be honest, I cannot really see any difference between last year's PSL and the current one. Same concept, same crowd numbers almost.. Apart from a few guys, the rest are all oldies.
 
Shehmir said:
Biggest disappointment so far is Multan Sultan bowling performances. Bowling was always their strength in previous tournaments
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That's what happens when you give up on the bowlers you invested in. Mohammad Ali and Abbas Afridi were two of their best bowlers last season. Both were let go. In previous year they invested heavily in Dahani then dropped him too. Ihsanullah suffered a major injury and isn't the same anymore but they still could have retained him and given him a few opportunities.

Khushdil is another guy who was a key player for them and is now giving match-winning performances against them for another team.
 
Savak said:
We have a lot of highly marketable tv actresses. Why doesn't the PSL consider them for PSL presenting duties? Like do something different i.e. pay top dollar and request Dananeer to be a compere in one season, Ayeza Khan in the next season, Hania Amir in the third season. A lot of young upcoming aspiring actresses and models will then push themselves to get this sort of a role in the PSL and that will be good for competition and their careers later on. Imagine if people perceive being involved in the PSL as a pathway to fame and good fortune in the Pakistani entertainment industry.

I guarantee you this will shoot up the eye balls. Atleast it will be something different every year which is what the audience wants rather than the same Zainab, Urooj, Ellen, Dominic Cork, Mark Butcher, Ramiz, Waqar e.t.c. every year.

The concept is lost on the PCB that doing the same thing again and again every year only promotes stagnation.
Click to expand...
Because its a job, and like any other job you have to be qualified and good at it. ust because you're a bad soap opera actress who has been on TV doesn't mean you can just walk in and do it. PSL has two presenters Zainab Abbas and Erin Holland, the others you named are commentators and experts, not presenters.

This is a cricket league, not a dog and pony show. All this window dressing doesn't mean anything if the product is not good.
 
I have really enjoyed the tournament so far. Quite competitive games and promising performance and good talent on display. Past year's disappointing performance of national team would be an understandable reason why fans would feel let down but overall have throughly enjoyed catching games and highlights of this season
 
The Lahore v Karachi game was definitely fun to watch. My dad is a big Lahore fan and was getting so wound up but I thought there were some really good shots played.
 
Harsh to say but standard of PSL is completely fazool , no young player ready for international cricket
 
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