PSL 2025: Pakistan cricket hits reset button after period of turmoil

Players and fans will look forward to the month-long tournament after setbacks at international level

Islamabad United won the Pakistan Super League last year. AFP

These are interesting times in Pakistan, to say the least. There was a time when chaos was one of the by-products of Pakistan’s dynamic system, regularly producing exceptional cricket after periods of unrest.

But now, chaos has made way for pandemonium. And that can be seen in the fortunes of the national team and at various levels around it.

The last few years have been particularly tumultuous. The national team has seen results go from bad to worse across formats. They fell early in the last three major ICC tournaments, endured embarrassing defeats to non-Test playing nations and also failed to win a single match in their ‘home’ Champions Trophy tournament.

The team changed captains and board management on almost a quarterly basis, resulting in a period of widespread uncertainty.

After a forgettable Champions Trophy, which ostensibly failed to infuse life into the system as India held all their matches in the UAE including the final, Pakistan were then thrashed by a second-string New Zealand team in the subsequent T20 and ODI series.

Which brings us to the 10th edition of the Pakistan Super League that begins on Friday amid one of the most sensitive periods in modern Pakistan cricket history.

Unrest in PSL camp

All is not well among the stakeholders of the league. On a recent podcast, Multan Sultans team owner Ali Tareen did not hold back as he criticised various aspects of the tournament and board management.

“How is PSL 10 bigger and better? I am tired of these hollow words from the PCB. What exactly are we doing differently to make it the best? Someone explain it. They claim it will be bigger while repeating the same things as last year,” Tareen said on the UltraEdge podcast by CrickWick.

He also stated that the Pakistan Cricket Board had still not laid out plans for the future with regards to expansion, foreign investment and other critical issues.

His sharp criticism was not well received, with Karachi Kings owner Salman Iqbal sharing his disappointment in the manner in which a PSL team owner openly criticised the league.

“PSL is Pakistan’s pride, a product which has made stars. Salman Naseer [CEO PSL] and the PCB team are giving their all to uplift PSL. Instead of negativity and denunciation of the league, us as team owners must step up and back their efforts. PSL is more than cricket. It’s a made-in-Pakistan success story. Every stakeholder, including Ali Tareen, benefits from its growth. So let’s protect what we’ve built,” Iqbal said in a statement.

With plans of expanding the league to eight teams, the discontent among at least one of the existing team owners is not great news.

PSL v IPL

The other big flash point this time is the timing of the league – right in the middle of the Indian Premier League. While every other franchise league avoids the two-month window of the IPL, the PSL was left with no choice as the country hosted a major tournament (Champions Trophy) earlier in the year and the January-February window is already cramped in the international calendar.

Having the PSL during the IPL means Pakistan will have to pull all its weight to get the best available talent and eyeballs of the wider cricketing world. However, there is a constant fear of overseas players leaving the PSL and joining the Indian league in case of a late call-up, as had happened with South African all-rounder Corbin Bosch who joined Mumbai Indians’ extended franchise family as a late replacement.

Still, playing during the IPL means the PSL can drop all pretence and work on their own plan and calendar, instead of compromising according to the machinations of other tournaments.

Time for a breather

As far as the players are concerned, the PSL could not have come at a better time. The international players have been battered into submission after successive setbacks home and away. Stars like Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam have seen their popularity diminish to a degree, which is to be a expected when you are part of the team that is losing constantly.

A month of high-quality franchise cricket at home might not fix any long-term issues, but will at least allow the players to enjoy cricket once again, get some confidence and rhythm back.

These are good cricketers and Pakistan are not as bad as their recent performances suggest. Maybe the PSL can show them just that.

Also, Pakistan can also focus all their energies on getting their T20 cricket in order and finding the right set of players ahead of the 20-over World Cup that takes places early next year in India and Sri Lanka.