PSL's Role in Pakistan's Meteoric Rise to ICC Championship 2017

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan's national cricket team scored a historic win in Champions Trophy 2017 final against defending champions India on June 18th by the highest-ever margin of 180 runs in any ICC international tournament final. New players emerging from Pakistan Super League and the return of players like Mohammad Amir significantly strengthened the bottom-ranked Pakistan side to beat much higher-ranked teams, including India.

Pakistan Team Celebrating Champions Trophy 2017 Victory

Pakistan Team's Defiance:

The Pakistan team that barely made the cut to play in Champions Trophy as the 8th ranked team lost its very first match against arch-rival India by 124 runs in group B on June 4, 2017. Subsequently,  the team to went on to defeat top ranked South Africa, 4th ranked England and 7th ranked Sri Lanka to reach the trophy's final match against India.

Often described as "predictably unpredictable",  Pakistan XI bounced back strongly after being written off by most commentators and pundits. They demonstrated the resilience that also characterizes the people and the state of Pakistan both of which are often given the "failed" tag by Indian and western media.

Success Factors: 

There are many factors that are believed to have contributed to Pakistan's spectacular rise to the world champion status in international cricket. The team captain Sarfaraz Ahmad is not only a good leader but also a very good batsman-wicket keeper who keeps his cool under pressure. The return of aggressive paceman Mohammad Amir to the team after a long suspension for match-fixing has bolstered Pakistan's bowling attack. But, most of all, I believe it is the discovery and grooming of new talent in Pakistan Super League.

Pakistan Super League:

Pakistan Super League (PSL) is a T20 cricket league with 6 franchise teams-- one each in the cities of Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Multan. Multan franchise was just recently sold by PSL to the Schon Group for $41.6 million over 8 years. PSL generates millions of dollars in PCB income that helps promote cricket in the country. It also exposes new talent that would otherwise remain hidden.

Several youngsters in Pakistan side who shined in the recent Champions Trophy matches were selected after they played and performed well in PSL 2, the league's second season earlier this year. For example Fakhar Zaman (Lahore Qalandars), Hassan Ali (Peshawar Zalmi), Shadab Khan (Islamabad United),  Rumman Raees (Islamabad United).

Opener Fakhar Zaman gave Pakistan the rapid start it needed with the runs that built the foundation for other batsmen down the line to capitalize on; Mohammad Amir struck early with quick top order wickets and then Hassan Ali and Shadab Khan kept up the pressure with their aggressive bowling. These youngsters also energized the rest of the team, particularly the more senior low-performing players, to do better.

Credit to Najam Sethi:

PSL chairman Najam Sethi has played a crucial role in setting up the PSL that is giving young talent an opportunity to play with the best of international players and be discovered.  It's a platform that highlights Pakistan's young talent that can simply not be ignored by the Pakistan national team selectors.

Sethi can also be credited with bringing Mohammad Amir back into Pakistan team in the face of significant opposition by senior players, both former and current.

Summary:

New players emerging from PSL and the return of players like Mohammad Amir have significantly strengthened Pakistan side as witnessed by their historic win against higher-ranked teams, including India, in Champions Trophy 2017 held in the United Kingdom. PSL is also generating the needed revenue to promote cricket at the grassroots level. PSL, if used properly, can help Pakistan become a more powerful professional side using the best available talent in the country.

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[Mehmood Malik]

First of all I'd like to congratulate all the lovers of Pakistan and Pakistan cricket, it was an awesome display of true grit, huge amounts of confidence and self belief from everyone in the squad, great leadership from the captain Sarfaraz and sheer brilliance from Fakhar, Azhar, Baber, Hafeez,Amir, junaid and Hassan Ali.
They shoved the words of our Indian friends down their throats who are still wondering what has hit them, as a long time supporter of team Pakistan you live for days like this, you want your batsmen to go out there and bat without fear which they did and you want your bowlers to bowl with aggression which the did.
Sometimes in a tournament the team that actually wins in the end does not begin so well, we had our bad start in the group game against India where we got thrashed but then something changed when we played against the number one ranked team in the world,south Africa, our bowlers began to look menacing and won us the game, against Sri Lanka our bowlers again put us in a great position but our top and middle order batsmen had a nightmare until Surfaraz and Amir got together and pushed us over the line. Sarfaraz survived a couple of chances of being caught out, for me that was the turning point because when you are destined to go all the way these sort of thing begin to go for you. Against England our bowlers again bowled very well and put us in a winning position and this time the batters did their job brilliantly and crossed the winning line without too much drama. Finally the batters and bowlers were looking dangerous and me and my friends felt that we had a very good chance of beating the old enemy in the final.
In the final every thing I wanted from my team they delivered, we put up a massive score on the board with some brilliant hitting and even the "professor' Hafeez was batting like a young Afridi, and then the bowling, what fantastic bowing from the Gujar Khan boy Amir, he ripped out the top three batsmen in a fairly short time and by the tenth over I was fairly confident we will be celebrating an awesome win. Anyway the Indian batting capitulated apart from their number seven who hit a few sixes but we got him out just at the right time and rest of them were on their way soon after.
There was much celebrations going on through out London, we went to Southall far iftari and there was a huge gathering of Pakistan supporters, younger guys and girls in their open top sports cars draped in Pakistani flags, Dil Dil Pakistan blaring out from a few focal points everyone dancing and singing even though it was Ramadan but we figured that today even Allah is a Pakistani supporter and we will forgiven for our indiscretions.
The party went on till late in the night ......PAKISTAN ZINDA BAAD

[Riaz Haq]

#PSL youngsters who played for #Pakistan in #CT17 have all become instant celebrities and millionaires

http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/pakistan-hit-a-home...

The young Pakistani players have become instant millionaires after a string of cash and other rewards announced. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has announced to give cash award of ten million rupees to each player and invited them for a lunch. The PCB also announced that besides the cash bonus of 29 million rupees due to the team as part of their central contracts, the Board would also give each player a cash bonus of one million rupees. The team has already pocketed prize money of around 200 million rupees from the ICC for winning the trophy. Famous builder Riaz Malik has also announced cash prizes of one million rupees each and plots for the players while others are slated to follow soon.

[Riaz Haq]

Ode to Team Green
Michael Kugelman

https://www.dawn.com/news/1340797/ode-to-team-green

what struck me the most was this: the team that triumphed on Sunday is an admirable microcosm of Pakistan on the whole: young and unpredictable, but also odds-defying and resilient. Few expected it to defeat England in the semi finals, much less take out the mighty Indians in the final. This team, like the nation it represents, is often counted out, but still manages to persevere.

Recall all the times Pakistan has been counted out. In March 2009, the US military adviser David Kilkullen famously predicted that the Pakistani state could collapse within one to six months. Nearly 100 months later, the state has yet to fall.

In 2008, financial distress brought on by plummeting foreign reserves sparked concerns that Pakistan could experience an economic meltdown. Nearly a decade later, Pakistan would never be mistaken for the next Asian tiger, but its economy is in a much better place. According to Pakistan government figures, GDP growth has hit its highest level in eight years. Foreign exchange reserves have shot up to nearly $22 billion.

Between 2007 and 2014, the Pakistani Taliban and its allies waged a relentless, nationwide campaign of terrorist violence that appeared unstoppable. Today, Pakistan still experiences terrorism and must grapple with extremist entities, but terrorist violence has fallen significantly, thanks in great part to Operation Zarb-i-Azb.

Most recently, Pakistan has faced the prospect of a diplomatic isolation campaign by India. New Delhi may have successfully orchestrated a boycott of a Saarc conference in Islamabad and railed against ‘Pakistani terrorism’ in global forums, but Pakistan, through CPEC, has become a lynchpin for Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. In the process it has further cemented its close relationship with the world’s likely next superpower, and strengthened relations with key states like Russia. Let’s be clear: Pakistan may not be the world’s top power broker, but it is not diplomatically isolated.

To be sure, Pakistan faces challenges in the coming months and years far graver than anything that will be thrown at (or should I say bowled to?) its national cricket squad. Pakistan’s proliferation of policy problems — radicalisation and extremist sentiment in society, millions of kids out of school, malnutrition and stunted growth among children, structural corruption, and, in my view, the only true existential crisis that confronts Pakistan, outright water scarcity — are as daunting as they are diverse.

And yet if there is one teachable moment from Sunday’s victory, it is that Pakistan is often down but never out. Just as a young batsman named Fakhar Zaman seemingly came out of nowhere (at least I’d never heard of him) to produce a performance for the ages and help avert a defeat predicted by even the most learned of observers, there’s reason to believe Pakistan will find a way to defy the odds and overcome, or at least manage, challenges that appear to be insurmountable.

After all, if an ignorant American like me could follow Sunday’s match, with all its machinations and maneuvers, then surely anything is possible, no matter how daunting.

[Mehmood Malik]

Pakistan being the only Muslim nuclear equipped country makes us strong and weak at the same time, our maney adversaries have tried to weaken us economically as well as politically. At the recently concluded meeting in Saudi Arabia in his speech Donold Trump mentioned a number of countries which he said had been the victims of terrorism and yet he failed to name Pakistan even though we have been the biggest victim having lost 70,000 of our citizens and security personnel through terrorism and this war on terror. Our prime minister was even prevented from making a speech detailing the sacrifices our country has made. I put this down to the very india-centric policies of the meeting of these so called friends of Pakistan. We should learn some very serious lessons from how we are being treated and what we need to do to rectify the situation in our favour.
One of the first things we should do is to create a properly functioning Foreign office with expert advisors helping to create substantial policies to help us move forward in this regard, we should not be relying on dear old Surtaj Aziz to combat the might of Indian foreign office and its influence.
The second thing is to make our people pay taxes, we cannot expect to be taken seriously if we need to go to world bank with a begging bowl in hand every two or three years. I read somewhere that only a small fraction of the population pay their taxes. An old fried of mine who is doing very well in Pakistan hardly pays any tax, when I asked him why he said he does not trust the people who are running the government.
These young guys in Pakistan cricket team have become world beaters in spite of the system rather then the system and unfortunately same thing applies to Pakistan, we are managing to survive in spite of our corrupt leaders.

[Riaz Haq]

Ramiz Raja, Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has stated that the just finished Australian tour of Pakistan brought in record-breaking revenue for the PCB. According to Ramiz, the tour was a success not just in terms of cricket, but also in terms of business, with the PCB making a profit of up to Rs. 2 billion.

https://heypakistan.org/2015-2/

The 59-year-old said that Pakistan’s recent successes, which included a historic triumph over arch-rival India in the 2021 T20 World Cup, revived the country’s supporters’ fervour, resulting in sold-out stadiums throughout Australia’s visit to the country.

“With recent strong results, our cricket team has instilled trust in the public, propelling us to new heights on a commercial level.” Only Australia’s home tour made a two-billion-dollar profit. As a result, it’s a good indicator for us moving forward,” Ramiz said.

Despite the tour’s great success, former national team captain feels there is still more work to be done. He stated that the PCB’s goal is to strengthen the country’s cricket facilities and pitches.

He stated that Pakistan’s next blockbuster season is crucial for the country, and that PCB must work tirelessly to ensure that the country’s infrastructure is up to par. This year, Pakistan will host the West Indies, England, and New Zealand, as the Men in Green prepare for their first real home season in a decade.

[Riaz Haq]

It’s probably heresy to even think it, but could the Pakistan Super League, a six-year-old six-team domestic competition, be the world’s strongest Twenty20 nursery?


by Malcolm Knox

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/homegrown-pakistan-enter-t20-c...

Orthodox logic says no. Of course the Indian Premier League, the all-star pageant that claims to be cricket’s NBA, NFL and Champions League rolled in together, has raised the income of every participant and the standard of the 20-over format as a whole.

Innovation in cricket has been turbocharged by the IPL, where the best of the best are challenged to produce their best, under pressure, in an annual whirlwind of noise, music and dollars. If you’re not in the IPL, as Paul Keating might say, you’re camping out.

And yet the young Pakistan team, none of whom are permitted to play in the IPL, came up with another performance, this time in Wednesday’s T20 World Cup semi-final at the Sydney Cricket Ground against New Zealand, to suggest that the IPL is not, or not exclusively, where it’s at.

Whether it was Shadab Khan’s brilliant direct-hit run out of Devon Conway, the clever and varied bowling from the four-man pace attack, or the spin craft of Shadab and Mohammad Nawaz, Pakistan again proved that they play their Twenty20 cricket better than just about anyone on the globe. To cap it off, their two best-credentialed batters, openers Babar Azam (53 off 42 balls) and Mohammad Rizwan (57 off 43), finally opened the valves and set up a convincing victory. In the end, they were steered home by Mohammad Haris (30 off 26), one of their four under-23 youth picks, who has only played his cricket inside Pakistan and a mere 25 PSL games at that. On Sunday, Haris will bat at first-drop in a World Cup final.


All 11 of the star-studded New Zealand team have IPL experience; none of the Pakistanis. Due to India’s ban on Pakistan players, which has been in force since the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008, the IPL’s first year, Babar’s team have had to grow their T20 nous either by finding gigs in Twenty20 leagues around the world or purely inside Pakistan.

Their youngest members of the current squad possess a tiny fraction of the T20 experience of their opponents in this World Cup. A few weeks ago, in the highlight of the tournament, Pakistan outplayed India’s galacticos for 39 of 40 overs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Their eclipse of the Kiwis brought to mind those old rugby league games when NSW Country came to town and, on this same patch of turf, towelled up the City glamour boys. When they do get a bit more exposure to this T20 caper, Pakistan will be pretty good.

Their most effective bowlers on Wednesday were left-arm beanpole Shaheen Shah Afridi (2/24 from four overs), the evergreen Haris Rauf (0/32) and teenager Naseem Shah (0/30). Rauf has played some BBL for the Melbourne Stars, Afridi nothing outside the PSL, Naseem only PSL plus a season in the Caribbean league.

As with several of their teammates, they are IPL squillionaires only in their dreams. Without the new-ball swing they have enjoyed in other venues, they tied down the strong Kiwi top order with excellent control of their lengths, a mixture of cutters and slower balls, and game plans as precisely tailored as if they knew the batters from years in the IPL.

The fielding – also brought up almost entirely on PSL fields - was as athletic as any seen in the tournament so far. Kane Williamson (46 off 42 balls) and Daryl Mitchell (53 not out off 35) batted only as well as the Pakistanis allowed, which is to say, more watchfully than they would have wished. New Zealand kept wickets in hand but were unable to convert them into runs.

[Riaz Haq]

It’s probably heresy to even think it, but could the Pakistan Super League, a six-year-old six-team domestic competition, be the world’s strongest Twenty20 nursery?


by Malcolm Knox

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/homegrown-pakistan-enter-t20-c...


For a semi-final, it was surprisingly one-sided. Pakistan outclassed New Zealand as thoroughly as New Zealand had outclassed Australia here in the tournament opener last month and, like that game, this one was decided early. This coming Sunday in Melbourne, whether they end up playing IPL-rich India or IPL-rich England, Pakistan have a chance to make their point in the most definitive way.

So what gives? Pakistan won a T20 World Cup in 2009, before 13 years of IPL exclusion set in. Now they have a chance to win their second, against India or England. Does Pakistan’s quality suggest that the IPL is not quite the cut above the rest that it ought to be, or has the PSL snuck beneath world cricket’s radar to be, pound for pound and rupee for rupee, the best school for this form of cricket?

As long as India maintains its political ban on Pakistan players, the question will remain unanswered. International players, including Australians, who have participated in the PSL have been saying quietly for a few years that the cricket there is on par with the IPL. As thousands of Pakistan fans kept standing in lines outside the SCG long after the start of play can testify, they have had to learn how to wait and to be cut out of the magic circle; and while waiting, to make their sport in their own way. Once they got in, both on the field and off, they were the dominant presence.

[Riaz Haq]

Since introduction of IPL, India have never won a T20 World Cup: Wasim Akram
Akram also raised the question that if Indian players played another overseas league in addition to the IPL, if that will make a difference in their approach.

https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/since-introduction...

After India were demolished by England by 10 wickets in their semifinal clash in Adelaide Oval, Pakistan legend Wasim Akram pointed out the fact that since the introduction of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Men in Blue have never won a T20 World Cup.

“Everyone thought the IPL will be the big difference between India and other teams. IPL started in 2008. India won a T20 World Cup before that in 2007. Since the advent of the IPL, India have never won a T20 World Cup. They won a World Cup in 2011 but that’s 50 overs,” Akram said on A Sports.

India were eliminated from the Group stages in the last T20 World Cup in 2021 and earlier this year, they couldn’t make it to the last stages of the Asia Cup.

Akram also raised the question that if Indian players played another overseas league in addition to the IPL, if that will make a difference in their approach.

Giving is take on the matter, fellow panelist Shoaib Malik said, “Yeah it makes a difference but IPL is big enough for young players to gain that exposure. But playing in different conditions, that actually makes a difference. As a overseas player if you go and play somewhere, they put extra responsibility on your shoulders. So that what matters, where you become a good player. You think to yourself that as an overseas player, the performances I am putting in should be up to the mark. Secondly, you share dressing rooms with world class players and you learn from their work ethics. How they are so consistent so I guess there are so many elements which make a difference.”

Former Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis said, “When the stakes are high, the pressure is also high. I feel IPL is a mega event. There’s a lot of tings at stake. Big businessmen are involved. So it’s a huge company. When you play in a mega event like that, there’s an added pressure on you when you go to play internationally. Then when you reach the knockout stages, that burden you feel on your shoulders. It was visible here, it was visible the time they played with Pakistan in the UAE as well as the Asia Cup. They took pressure and couldn’t really move on wit the game. The freedom that they play with in the IPL, it does now show here. Rahul, Rohit, Virat, they all have centuries but today it looked like they were in a shell.”

“The biggest point, however, is that the indian batters could only take 41 runs off the England spinners, including a part time spinner in 7 overs. Nobody could really take them on. I couldn’t see any cross shots even though the boundary was not that long. They were just worried. They should thank Hardik Pandya who scored runs very quickly down the order. Without that India would ptrobably not reach even 120 runs,” he added.

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistani players have a had a great 2021 specially in the shortest format of the game. Keeping this in view, there are numerous Pakistani cricketers who were offered contracts from multiple Big Bash League franchises. Pakistan dominated this year in T20I Cricket setting a new record of most wins in T20Is in a calendar year. Although the mainstream stars like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are not expected to feature in BBL, there are still many other Pakistani stars who will play BBL 2021-22. Following are their details:

https://www.crickyupdates.com/pakistani-players-in-big-bash-league-...

Sydney Sixers have reportedly signed Shadab Khan from Pakistan. Although an official announcement is awaited but sources close to Shadab Khan have revealed that he is all set to play for the defending champions. Shadab has already departed for Australia. Shadab Khan is the vice-captain of Pakistan’s T20I Side. He has picked up 20 wickets in T20Is in 2021 averaging just 19 with the ball.

Melbourne Stars:
Melbourne Stars have signed the most no of Pakistani bowlers this year. Death bowling specialist Haris Rauf will be seen in action for Melbourne Stars. Rauf is the joint highest wicket taker for Pakistan in T20Is this year. Melbourne Stars have had a great relation with PSL Franchise Lahore Qalandars. They have some sort of partnership which benefit both the teams. Melbourne also signed two emerging stars from Pakistan. Syed Faridoun and Ahmed Daniyal. Both are the finds of Lahore Qalandars’ player development program. Ahmed Daniyal has featured in PSL as well while Syed Faridoun is completely raw.

Sydney Thunder:
Sydney Thunder offered a contract to express pacer from Pakistan Mohammad Hasnain. Hasnain is not in such great form or rhythm. He was axed form the Pakistan’s World T20 squad and his recent numbers are not satisfactory either. Yet Sydney have shown faith in the young pacer and Hasnain will be seen playing for Sydney Thunder.