In 2016, Pakistan launched their own domestic T20 Cricket League known as the Pakistan Super League. The league has grown to become perhaps the 3rd biggest T20 Cricket league in the world now.
The current season started on February 13th and will go till the 19th of March. With 6 teams from the capitals of each province in Pakistan, let’s get into what has made the PSL so significant in this short time.
The PSL has been a huge boost for Pakistani Cricket as a whole. With numerous political issues that have prevented Pakistan from hosting matches on their soil, or being that Pakistani players cannot play in the Indian Premier League, this has really allowed for their talent to shine.
In 2009, a horrific shooting occurred in Lahore when terrorists fired at Sri Lanka’s team bus before a Test match. This caused the suspension of all international matches to be played in Pakistan due to safety concerns.
The PSL which contains a lot of international talent had started the first few seasons playing in the United Arab Emirates. The 2018 playoffs saw the first games in Pakistan be played for the PSL. By 2020, the whole tournament was hosted in Pakistan.
This was a huge moment for the nation as Cricket is considered a religion. To finally have a T20 league where you can watch your countrymen play live was a big step for the nation. The return of PSL has resulted in increased tourism, economic growth, and by putting Pakistan back on the Cricket map after years.
The Revenue Growth
Once PSL fully moved to Pakistan, the revenue of the league increased significantly. The 2022 season saw an increase of 200% in sponsorship and media rights from the year before. More local and foreign companies from abroad are growing their exposure with the way that streaming platforms have pushed the PSL’s growth.
In the first 12 days of the 2022 season, total viewership was predicted to be over 200 million people.
Babar Azam & The New Generation
Recently being announced ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year for a second straight time, Babar Azam has taken the cricketing world in his hands. The top-order batsman has become the world’s greatest Cricketer at the moment. The PSL has definitely been responsible for his growth as a player. At 28 years old he already has the record for PSL most runs, this will not stop anytime soon as he could play another 7+ seasons minimum.
The captain of the Pakistan national team and now captain of Peshawar Zalmi has made his mark since the inception of PSL. His long tenure with the Karachi Kings came to its end last year after 5 years. This season should really shake things as the overall talent level has increased.
The PSL has proven to help establish this new generation of Pakistani cricketers and further expose them to the world. Thus, the league has been instrumental to put the nation back as a top hub for Cricket once again.
