Pakistan Super League’s fifth edition has completed its first part but without a bang. There were little spice on the field expect a few individual performances but as it remains the history of the Pakistan Cricket Board it was the off-field dramas that provided the spice mainly due to the organisational glitches and an inept media and marketing strategy.
Here is a look at the key events happened so far in this edition of the PSL.
Caught in fixing
Just as everyone was waiting for a supposed glittering blaster of the opening ceremony of the PSL, the Pakistan Cricket Board waited till the last moment to ban Umar Akmal on the charges of corruption. And all the good work and excitement for hosting the whole event in Pakistan for first time turned into agony and fatigue due to the ill-timing of this announcement. The PCB could simply stop Akmal from appearing for Gladiators and could announce the development later to let the momentum build up. Fixing always clouds Pakistan cricket and fans are losing faith in the cricketers and the game with questioning integrity of the result of any game. And such hush ups are not unknown to cricket world as other boards, including Australian and Indian, keep such off the field controversies away till it may be possible. But reasons well-known to the PCB, it always feels pleasure to raise controversies at eleventh hour to take the gleam away from the sheen of the event.
Flop opening ceremony
The opening ceremony of the Pakistan Super League was a bigger disappointment and an organizational chaos. Even star performer in the PSL opening ceremony Ali Azmat admitted that it seemed the ceremony was meant for the TV audience and it was quite chaotic in the field. It started with an organizational glitch with PCB installing two giant screens at Karachi's National Stadium for the opening ceremony that have blocked the view of at least two enclosures i.e. Naseemul Ghani enclosure and Iqbal Qasim enclosure. The tickets for these two enclosures, priced at Rs2,500 initially, had been reduced to Rs1,500 for the reason and the PCB is yet to finalise a protocol through which those who purchased tickets at the initial price would be refunded for their payment. The last-minute changes to the prices of the tickets have cost the PCB at least Rs5 million.
Then it was Amed Godil, who started the opening ceremony as a host and became the first victim of social media memes as quickly as the ceremony started. The PCB latter sacked Godil by the PCB, a step Godil criticised with a heavy heart.
“Thank you PCB for this humiliation and not being man enough to own all the faults and mishaps and then telling me not to even clear my stance on the controversy created because of you! Wow, how cool of you!"
Following his comments, he claimed that PCB decided to relieve him of his duties. Godil said: “I am officially not part of PSL and PCB. I have just had one question that this big ceremony was just done by Ahmed Godil? Blame those who did this. I have become a victim of cyber bullying and when I needed my organization to which I worked for 2-3 years, that same organization has suspended me. Now, the same organization is asking me about my interviews in favour of Ali Zafar. Why shouldn't I do this?"
There were also an Indian element that surfaced in the end and it was alleged that the PCB gave the opening ceremony to a company having more Indian interests and it made sure that the ceremony ended up in a failure. Giving media and opening ceremony rights to India origin or Indian owned companies always remain a million dollar question since the arrival of Ehsan Mani as the PCB chairman. But nobody dared to ask him and neither he ever bothered to answer these questions as questioning him means to directly question PM Imran Khan…and who dares?...
Fans were not ready for Tayar Hain
The official anthem of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 called Tayyar Hain featuring Ali Azmat, Arif Lohar, Haroon Rashid and Asim Azhar mostly disappointed the fans. The tunehas been produced by renowned musician Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan (Xulfi), while Kamal Khan of Laal Kabootar fame has directed its video but both video and song failed to win over the audience. People could not forget the famous previous edition songs sung by Ali Zafar and it started a new row with Ali Azmat alleging that a ‘singer’ paid for the social media campaign against the song and also claimed the PCB knew about it. This ‘singer’ to everyone’s understanding was one and only Ali Zafar who hit back at claims and latter announced to release own PSL song which is under preparation. Considering the quality of Tayar Hain and reputation of Ali Zafar it could be safely said that PCB is set for another round of humiliation as soon as soon as the Ali Zafar’s song hits the audience.
Empty stadiums
The Pakistan Super League has been being staged for the first time in the country in full and it was hoped that the people would throng stadiums. But it could not happen. First it was the scheduling and then a failure at the part of the PCB to devise a proper media and marketing strategy to create that kind of hype that pull the crowds towards the stadium. Instead, the PCB unwisely banked on a failed media strategy and a whim that the cricket deprived fans would fill the stadiums. The PCB media team is doing a good job to provide all the media some same content and otherwise keeping players and other opportunities away from them. With no exclusivity for them and all the half-cooked work being done by PCB media under its highly-paid media director forced the media not to give much time and space to the PSL as it was seen in the previous editions. And the result is the empty stadia that has left the PCB red-faced and it is trying now to cover up the issue in one way or other.
Flying kisses and ball tampering
The both incidents happened in single match i.e Quetta Gladiators vs Peshawar Zalmi. An ugly scene had been witnessed near the dug outs of playing teams Zalmi and Gladiators when Wahab Riaz and Sarfaraz Ahmed have to restrain from physical altercation. Wahab sent a flying kiss to Quetta Gladiators Jesson Roy, a gesture that did not bode well with Quetta’s captain Sarfaraz. Sarfaraz aggressively moved forward to confront with Wahab but Gladiators mentor Sir Vivian Richards restricted him. There was also exchange of abuses among the players before Zalmi captain Darren Sammy forced Wahab to move away and took him along with him to the Zalmi’s dug out. Earlier, Wahab and Roy also exchanged words during Quetta batting and Wahab also gave a send-off after taking the wicket of Shane Waston.
In the second and more bizarre incident, Sarfaraz claimed that they had lodged a complaint with the match referee about a ball tampering incident he blamed on Wahab Riaz. Latter, his claim was rejected by the PCB as it said that no such complaint had been filed and also cautioned Sarfaraz against giving such statements.
Technology failure
Another organizational glitch hit the PSL and time one it was during the match between Quetta Gladiators and Karachi Kings. Gladiators appealed for a caught behind appeal against Babar Azam on delivery of Muhammad Hussnain, which the on-field umpire turned down. Gladiators captain Sarfaraz Ahmed went for a review and it appeared that the snickometer has failed to work. The TV umpire took six minutes before deciding in favour of Babar Azam after wasting some six minutes. Sarfaraz was not impressed and went on to argue with the on-field umpire before restarting the match.
So not a much impressive start for the PSL this season and one can only hope that the PCB would learn from the mistakes and would try to overcome them rather that closing its eyes. There is much at stake for the country and the PCB should realise this sooner than later and stop making the country and itself a laughing stock.
As the saying goes that if end is well all is well only one can wish for the happy ending for the event for the sake of the country…fingers are crossed though!....