Pakistan’s very own cricket league is going to be back soon.
The inaugural edition of the Pakistan Super League was launched last year on almost the same dates as its successor this year. Season two promises a lot more than the first one; it promises to bring in a lot more talent, money and viewers than the first edition; and it promises to be a bigger success than the last one.
The previous season was all about new beginnings, all about new ways of getting things done in Pakistan cricket. Most of all, it was about giving Pakistan cricket a fresh start. A fresh start once again, leaving behind the dark shadows of the past that still haunt Pakistan.
The previous season was also about putting Pakistan on the world map and giving Pakistan cricket an identity again. This identity helped Pakistan to stand on the same level as opponents like India, Australia & England. It helped Pakistan cricket to get recognized once more and newspapers were filled with Pakistan’s latest cricketing developments. Simultaneously, the supporters were thrilled as ever.
Finally, the previous season was also about uniting Pakistan. It helped discover raw talent and then helped that raw talent to play on a stage at par with the international one. The PSL made youngsters share the dressing room with players of international caliber, which in turn would help Pakistan cricket enormously in terms of sculpting new players for the future.
Whether that was achieved or not is a debate for another time, but that was one of the intended consequences. It was, for the first time, about supporting their own hometowns and supporting the PSL because, in the end, whichever team won, the PSL won and Pakistan won. Pakistan won in any scenario. No heartbreaks, only joy on the streets of Pakistan.
What the previous season couldn’t promise or deliver was to give Pakistani people a taste of their very own league in their very own country. Instead, it had to be scheduled in the United Arab Emirates, away from home. The initial version of Pakistan’s own league was only for the wealthy to watch live and had to be televised for the normal Pakistanis. The crowds were nowhere near as good as they would have been in Pakistan.
Even so, the playoffs had a lot more spectators than many expected. The tournament wasn’t bad. It started off sluggishly, but slowly and surely upped the pace, and got some heat going into the final stages of the tournament. It was a success of sorts, but the second season promises to be an even bigger success.
The preparations for the second season have been in full flow. All the franchises have been busy preparing. All the fans knows each franchise inside out. Every franchise has its own set of committed fans and each one is capitalizing on their fans for support in the tournament. Once again, the streets of Pakistan are going to be filled with supporters of Karachi Kings, Islamabad United, Quetta Gladiators, Peshawar Zalmi and Lahore Qalandars.
This edition of the PSL has more, and bigger, foreign players but the best thing about it is that the final is scheduled to be played in the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Yes, in our very own Pakistan.
Yes, it promises to be a success.
It seems like a step towards a better tomorrow. The final of Pakistan’s very own league is going to be held in Pakistan. The PSL might just be the gateway to bring International Cricket back to Pakistan, just as it was promised before the launch of PSL. And with that, season 2 promises to be MUCH, much bigger and better than the last time.
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