In the background of the political frenzy that is sweeping the legislature, Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) third edition is consistently doing the same for cricket fans in the country. This year’s iteration has churned out a bevy of breathtaking matches and the entertainment does not look like ending anytime soon. However, as the tournament enters its closing stages the focus shifts to the semi-finals and the final – all three of which will be held in Pakistan.
Despite the quality of cricket on display in the UAE, one thing is conspicuously missing – the crowd. The tournament regularly draws a committed fan base of expatriates from the Arabian peninsula, but never in enough numbers to fill stadiums or to create that elusive quality about sporting events – atmosphere.
Misbah-ul-Haq, the country’s most successful Test captain and the current skipper of Islamabad United feels this pain only too clearly and has recently reiterated the desire on the minds on many – bring the league home. “I think, we just have to get the league back to home because it is Pakistan’s league and the people there own it and relate to it more.”
His words certainly don’t need any substantiation, the recent matches held in Lahore drew capacity attendances and the revenue for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was similarly improved. The PCB is moving in the right direction by having three matches in Pakistan this time around compared to the solitary final in the past. How Karachi – a city with an infinitely complex security equation – handles the PSL final will decide much for the future of the domestic dream.
However, the ultimate objective of the PCB and the PSL should be clear; a fully domestic tournament where each franchise hosts its matches in its own city; where the tournament drives tourism and development not in the Emirates, but in Pakistan itself.