One of the most drawn out debate before the start of Pakistan Super League (PSL) was whether to hold the tournament in Pakistan or the UAE – with security of the players and the satisfaction of the fans being the two opposing motivations. PSL ultimately settled for the UAE, and was pulled off by the PCB with a marketing acumen that surprised many. The only complaint was that Pakistani fans missed the opportunity to see their stars in action, something to be remedied in the future. The Pakistan Cup – renamed from the Pentangular Cup – was to be the PCB’s answer; yet the empty stadiums and the virtual anonymity of the tournament on the national level shows that something has gone very wrong.

It is not hard to see what – the tournament is plagued by nonsensical decisions. All the matches are being held in Faisalabad, where a more populous city such as Karachi or Lahore would have drawn more crowds. Instead of holding the matches at the end of the year as scheduled the matches were shifted to months of summer when searing heat has forced people to stay in their homes. More than these glaring blunders the utter lack of marketing has spelled the death knell for the tournament. Where the PSL was preceded by months of events, press conferences and ads, the Pakistan Cup has begun quietly and without any of such proven techniques.

The Pentangular Cup was supposed to be a tournament that would provide valuable practice before the coming tournament and to revive the culture of packed stadiums and the confident players they produce. But the Cup has done none of this. The empty stadiums speak for themselves, but the spats between players and officials, and other disciplinary issues show that even the other objective is not being achieved properly. The PSL may be a glitzy extravaganza – but detractors say it has been too much of an extravaganza; with all the money being spent on the tournament while other tasks have been neglected.