Pakistan Super League Launch

[RiazHaq]

Haq's Musings: Launch of Pakistan Super League: Pakistan's T20 Cricket League

Pakistan will soon be starting its first professional sports league along the lines of for-profit sports leagues like Major League Baseball (MLB) or National Football League (NFL) in the United States.


India's IPL (Indian Premier League) was the first such league in the cricket world. It was started by India's Lalit Modi who studied professional sports business at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Several other countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, England, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the Caribbean nations (West Indies), followed suit with their own versions of premier league. Pakistan is the latest country to join this movement with its own league called PSL or Pakistan Super League.

Pakistan is the 2nd largest cricket market after India in terms of viewership. It's the 4th largest market after India, England and Australia in revenue terms.

The launch of Pakistan Super League (PSL) will help significantly increase cricketing revenue and put Pakistan in second place in revenue terms. It will also help generate revue for Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to promote domestic cricket in the country.

There are five categories of players being recruited to be part of PSL — Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver and Emerging.

PSL has already signed up top international cricket stars like Kevin Peterson (England), Chris Gayle (West Indies) , Brad Haddin (Australia), Grant Elliot (New Zealand) , James Franklin (New Zealand), Brad Hogg (Australia), Shakibul Hasan (Bangladesh), Dwayne Bravo (West Indies), Sunil Naraine (West Indies) and Ravi Bopara (England) . Other names will soon be revealed. Several top international coaches have also agreed to join.

The star power is attracting major broadcasters to bid for media rights in different regions of the world. Broadcasters can expect high advertising rates with many big international stars playing in each team. In addition, big businesses will provide funding as sponsors of league matches.

Each team will have a salary cap of about $1 million for about 3 weeks of work. PSL will comprise of just 24 matches, with each team playing the other twice. Each tournament will end in less than a month.

There will be 4 foreign players and 2 under-19 Pakistani players in each of the 5 team currently in the works. The rest of the teams will be made up of Pakistani players who are now playing at the national level and the first class matches. The teams are: Islamabad Blasters, Karachi Super Stars, Lahore Warriors, Peshawar Kings, Quetta Challengers. 80% of the league's revenue will be shared among the franchisees.

Under-19 Pakistani players will receive Rs. 2.5 million fees for 3 months of play. This will encourage more talent to compete and help improve the quality of young players in the country.

Pakistan Super League is expected to be played in February 2016 in Dubai and Sharjah stadiums in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It's the best thing to happen to Pakistan cricket in a long time. Let's hope that the security situation will soon allow future tournaments to be played on Pakistani soil.


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Haq's Musings: Launch of Pakistan Super League: Pakistan's T20 Cricket League

 

[Sipahi]

The best thing about PSL is that only 24 Matches....

The shortest the best

 

[RiazHaq]

#Pakistan qualify, #Windies out of Champions Trophy 2017 #Cricket #England #India #Bangladesh #Australia #NewZealand BBC Sport - ICC Champions Trophy 2017: West Indies out, Pakistan in …

West Indies will not take part in the 2017 Champions Trophy after Pakistan pipped them to eighth place in the International Cricket Council's one-day rankings at the 30 September cut-off.
Only the top eight teams on that date will compete in the tournament.
As well as Pakistan, Australia, India, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will join hosts England.
Bangladesh, who were last involved in the event in 2006, made sure of their place by beating South Africa in July.
The Windies, who won the Champions Trophy in 2004, suspended coach Phil Simmons on Monday for criticising selectors.
It is the first time they have missed out on a Champions Trophy, World Cup or T20 World Cup tournament.
At the World Cup earlier this year, they were thrashed by New Zealand in the quarter-finals, while Pakistan, India, England and South Africa have all beaten them in ODI series over the past two years.
The next cut-off date for teams is 30 September 2017 - when the top eight one-day sides will earn automatic entry to the 2019 World Cup, which will also take place in the UK.

 

[Asian.Century]

Pakistan Super League vs Indian Premier League vs Big Bash
26th September 2015, 1:24 PM 0 Comments


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Finally Pakistan is going to launch its professional Twenty20 cricket tournament under the title of Pakistan Super League (PSL). After successful completion of first episode, PSL will become the “premier cricket league in Pakistan”.

PSL is just like Indian Premier League (IPL) and Big Bash. The work started on PSL in 2013, however, due to lack of sponsors and logistics issues it postponed for many time. Just like IPL, there will be also a proper auction system and foreign players will be given equal opportunities just like domestic players. Up to now over 100 international players from 9 countries have signed the consent forms and over 17 international coaches have also signed the consent forms.

Most of the cricketers have belief that PSL will turn out to be a major tournament and the signs are good that success will come to this lucrative T20 event.

If the PSL ended with clean hands and without a single case of match fixing and corruption, then it would replace the IPL in two to three seasons. IPL first season was attended by 7 Pakistani cricketers. But BCCI has restricted its players to not participate in PSL.

Why PSL is better than IPL?

One thing is apparent from current structure of IPL that having lot of teams is nnot means a successful ending. Pakisan has decided to launch with five teams that is a good step. IPL statrted with 11 teams and now it is at 8 teamas due to mismanagment.

PSL comprise just 24 matches as compare to over 50 mathces of IPL. Each team will get to chance in the tournament. This will make the PSL more effective than IPL as the viewers will not get bored as the tournament will be of one 21 days only.

World best cricketers, captains and the winning coach of the field are going to be the part of PSL that is simply a smart move by PSL.

PCB has followed the format the Caribbean Premier League. There are five categories for the players interested in being part of PSL — Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver and Emerging. So, no chances of discrimination between local and international players.

Pakistan Super League Players List:

PCB has confirmed the participation of follwoing cricket stars among others:

Kevin Pietersen

Chris Gayle

Kieron Pollard

Andre Russel

Dwayne Bravo

Luke Wright

Shakib al Hassan

Lasith Malinga

Sunil Narine

Angelo Mathews



Pakistan Super League Venues:

All PSL mathces would be played at two grounds namely Dubai Cricket Stadium and Sharjah Cricket Stadium as confirmed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Paksitan Super Leaguem Teams Name:

Five teams are participating in the event that are: Quetta, Karachi, Peshawar, Lahore and Islamabad.

Pakistan Super League Matches Schedule:

Total of 24 matches will be played over a 21-day period.

Pakistan Super League Prize Money:

PSL will offer up to $1 million in prize money. Each franchise will be able to draft players and coaches for the team within a budget of $1 million.

Pakistan Super League vs Indian Premier League | The News Teller

 

[Asian.Century]

PSL’s Herculean Challenge
Khalid Hussain October 4, 2015 Leave a comment


Pakistan’s cricket chiefs are finally going ahead with their plans to launch a professional Twenty20 league. If the event clicks, it will be great for the game in our country but what if it doesn’t? What if, it turns out to be something of a sitting duck for match-fixers?

These are strange times for professional cricket. From one angle, all that one can see is a bright, almost rosy picture. The hundreds of millions of dollars made by the Indian Premier League (IPL) have added to the BCCI’s treasure chest since the glitzy event’s inception back in 2008. It has made unknown cricketers from the lengths and breadths of India into rich and famous stars and has made the already rich stars like MS Dhoni even richer.

IPL’s financial success has triggered a chain reaction in the best part of the cricket world that has seen professional Twenty20 leagues mushrooming in countries ranging from Australia and England to Sri Lanka, West Indies and Bangladesh. These leagues have opened up greener pastures for international cricketers, who can now make big bucks faster than ever before in the history of the game. Some make millions within a span of a few weeks. Even the lesser-known ones get reasonably fat paychecks. Cricket has never been so lucrative for the men who earn their bread and butter through it. These leagues also help the host country to try out unheralded youngsters in a competitive environment.

For an optimist, these are good enough reasons for Pakistan to finally join the bandwagon. After all, when almost all major cricket-playing nations are either benefitting from the windfall or at least trying to benefit from it, why should Pakistan cricketers remain deprived of a league owned by their cricket board.

Pakistani players, despite being counted among the best when it comes to the fastest version of the game, have been kept out of the lucrative IPL because of political reasons. They are going to welcome the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and with due reason.

For the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), too, the league could be a lasting solution to its financial problems. Najam Sethi, the man at the helm of the PSL, is confident that the league will soon be a major source of income for the cash-strapped board.

For better or for worse, Pakistan’s cricket chiefs have finally decided to go ahead with their plans to launch a professional Twenty20 league. If it clicks, it would be great for the game in our country but what if it doesn’t? What if, it turns out to be sitting duck for match-fixers?

Najam Sethi has achieved a major breakthrough by bringing the PSL within reach. But his job will reach completion only if the PCB manages to deliver a successful, corruption-free league.
The onus will be on Najam Sethi to make sure that the PSL is held fixing-free. I’m not suggesting that it should be trouble-free because with any new enterprise there are almost always some sort of teething problems. And when it comes to large-scale sporting competitions there are always some kind of technical problems. The most important thing that Najam Sethi and his team need to do is take steps to ensure that the PSL doesn’t fall prey to the corrupt elements that have been stalking and, to a large extent, ruining this beautiful game for years.

It won’t be easy considering that the fixers have, over the years, devised various ways and means to neutralize any anti-corruption measures taken by the authorities. Even mega events like the ICC World Cup aren’t immune.

But what works to the PSL’s advantage is that it is being started right from scratch. And it can learn from seven years of IPL failures to curb corruption.

For the PCB, it should begin with the scrutiny of the parties that will become franchise owners. I can tell you that at least some of them won’t be joining PSL to do Pakistan cricket a service. They will be primarily in for the money. Now, a new league like the PSL is unlikely to make huge profits in an already saturated Twenty20 market. The short-cut for franchise owners to make money isn’t going to be the right way. I’m not saying that they will resort to fixing matches. After all, why would they go for such perilous gambles when there is spot-fixing – difficult to detect but almost as profitable as fixing entire matches?

We have seen that happening in the IPL. The scenes showing India’s fraud squad, the Enforcement Directorate, carrying out raids on the homes of bookmakers in Delhi and Jaipur are still fresh in the minds of cricket fans across the globe. Later, two of the leading IPL teams were suspended after officials were found guilty of illegally betting on various games. Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, captained by Australian star Steve Smith were thrown out of the league to, using the words of the tribunal’s chief, “protect the integrity of the game”. It was a huge blow for the IPL as CSK is the most successful team in the league’s history having won the event in 2010 and 2011. They finished runners-up in 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2015. Rajasthan were winners of the inaugural edition in 2008. But it was hardly surprising considering that the IPL has been beset by fixing investigations and rumours of corruption since its launch. It hit a low in 2013 when India’s Test pacer S. Sreesanth was banned for life for spot-fixing during IPL.

But the IPL survived these near fatal blows because India runs world cricket.

Pakistan enjoys no such luxury. It carries the stigma of a series of fixing scandals starting from the nineties when a former national captain was banned for corruption. More recently, three leading Pakistani cricketers were banned and even imprisoned for spot-fixing during the 2010 tour of England. Unlike the past when Pakistan were counted among the big boys of world cricket, the country stands marginalised with international teams staying away from it because of security apprehensions. In stark contrast to India, Pakistan yields little or no clout in the power corridors of international cricket.

Such dismal background means that unlike its richer and powerful cousin in the east, the PSL won’t survive any corruption-related episodes. This is going to be a clear and present danger once the league rolls into action in the UAE next February.

PCB will have to devise a comprehensive mechanism that can help it detect any suspicious elements before they become a part of the PSL. It will need to keep a hawk-eye and should be ready to nip any possible evil in the bud. It will have to educate Pakistani players, especially the younger ones, on how to shield themselves from fixing mafias. Unlike the IPL which was known for its wild after-parties, the PSL will need to keep its eyes on the ball. Such after parties make it easy for the bookies to approach players or to carry out “honey-trap” blackmail scams. Being a T20 event competing against established leagues, the PSL must be entertaining but the entertainment should happen on the cricket field and not off it.

Najam Sethi has achieved a major breakthrough by bringing the PSL within reach. But his job will reach completion only if the PCB manages to deliver a successful, corruption-free league. If that happens, then I’m sure Sethi’s name will go down in history as the man, who did Pakistan cricket a big service.

PSL’s Herculean Challenge | TNS - The News on Sunday

 

[I S I]

PSL will rock

 

[Trichy]

Why PSL is better than IPL?

One thing is apparent from current structure of IPL that having lot of teams is nnot means a successful ending. Pakisan has decided to launch with five teams that is a good step. IPL statrted with 11 teams and now it is at 8 teamas due to mismanagment.

small correction IPL starts with 8 teams thn grow to 10, and 9 and back to 8 teams. it never played with 11 teama in a single season..

any way congrats to PSL...

 

[Sankpal]

best of luck....

 

[Asian.Century]

PSL : Platinum Category

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday announced the names of players placed in the platinum category for the inaugural edition of upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL), ARY News reports. According to details, seven Pakistani players along with 18 foreign players are placed in platinum category.

The Pakistani players who are in the top category include:
Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Wahab Riaz Mohammad Irfan.

The overseas players who are included in the platinum category include: Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy, Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Smith, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Kevin Pietersen, James Anderson, Ian Bell, Alastair Cook

It should be noted that Indian Premier League (IPL) Chairman Rajiv Shukla had said that Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is ready to consider sending its players to take part in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Pakistan’s T20 league will be contested in February 2016 in the United Arab Emirates.

Shakib Ul Hasan should be there in the Platinum.

PSL : Platinum Category | Pakistan Cricket Forum - Cricistan

 

[EagleEyes]

Best of luck, looking forward to see our players perform better.

 

[SSG commandos]