There is no doubt about the fact that Indian Premier League (IPL) which started way back in 2008 and is already done with 10 editions is the most merchandisable league in the world right now.
IPL is the favourite league of all the global sponsors and has done wonders for Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) financially. However, PSL boasts a trio of things that no other league in the world has — including the Indian Premier League.
Let’s examine what these features are that make the PSL stand out from the crowd.
- Not just another sports league
The Indian Premier League (IPL), Big Bash League (BBL) and even English Premier League (EPL), as successful as they are, they are all just sports leagues. The PSL, for Pakistan, is not just another sports league. It’s much more than that.
When PSL runs into problems, the directions can even come from the top-most echelon of the hierarchy: the PM House. To handle security, even the top brass of the army gets involved — that’s how important this seemingly insignificant 20-over competition is to this country.
From a news standpoint even, on the day of PSL final, the PSL final is all that matters. No politicians climb up their containers, no courts binge on suo motus and no clerics issue edicts. Critics can call PSL flawed and miniature but this competition’s uniqueness lies in its own modest roots.
- Duration of the tournament
With IPL staying for more than two months with 70 odd matches in total, it becomes quite boring for the fans as they are used to quick and fast results. PSL on the other hand stays hardly for a month and keeps all the teams on the toes in each and every game which raises the standard of cricket being played.
- The league where batsmen don’t reign supreme
It’s no secret that the entire purpose of creating the T20 format is to favour the batsmen so they amass runs and fast. Understandably, leading the pack in this crusade is the IPL where batsmen often treat ball hurlers with disdain of the highest order.
This is where the PSL is still holding the fort. PSL has been highly competitive league and we have seen players who perform at ease in the IPL has failed miserably in PSL. Chris Gayle who went unsold in the 3rd edition of PSL is the prime example.
In 120 innings of IPL 2018, teams were all-out only a dozen times. In contrast, in 66 innings of PSL 2018, bowlers managed to dismiss all 10 opposing batsmen a total of 10 times. Some could say that that’s a failure on PSL batsmen’s part, but on the flip side, you can also argue that it’s down to PSL bowlers’ brilliance.
- PSL represents a nation’s perseverance
For most of the world, the only things found in Pakistan are bombs, terrorists, acres and acres of barren land, unforgiving mountains and deserts as far as the eye could see.
This is where PSL works perfectly. The players we attract may be second-stringers or has-beens but just to be in this position takes a tremendous amount of perseverance. No mainstream sports league has had to battle such external elements.
- Genuine Rivalry among the franchises
Last but not the least, the genuine rivalry which the world has witnessed in the fans of Karachi and Lahore hasn’t been seen anywhere. IPL might be a bigger league financially but PSL with its unpretentious rivalry among the franchises before the tournament adds a lot of excitement.
