THE ninth edition of the Pakistan Super League begins today, but this time around, the glitzy T20 league is severely lacking in star power. An event that paved the way for Pakistan to end its international drought, the PSL was supposed to get larger as the world’s second biggest T20 league after the Indian Premier League. Instead, with leagues mushrooming in South Africa and the UAE, it has now been forced into a window where player availability has been compromised. There have been notable international withdrawals, with Afghanistan ace Rashid Khan and South African pacer Lungi Ngidi pulling out. This year’s edition was due to tee off on Feb 8, a date that coincided with the general elections, the fallout from which has dampened the build-up. The delay means the final stage of the PSL will be held in Ramazan. With political developments dominating discussions, it remains to be seen whether the PSL, which once captivated the entire nation, will still capture attention as it did in its past iterations.

From a purely cricketing perspective, though, the PSL offers a chance for players to push themselves into contention for the national team ahead of June’s T20 World Cup in the US and West Indies. With only a little sprinkling of overseas stardust, it will provide more opportunities to Pakistan’s emerging talent to show their mettle. It has done so in the past, and members of Pakistan’s under-19 team, which performed admirably at the ICC World Cup this year, have also been picked up by the franchises. It is a chance for them to shine and rub shoulders with the likes of Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi. That in itself would be an experience for them to savour. And in a country that comes to a standstill when cricket takes place, perhaps the PSL will become the topic of national discussion again after the first delivery.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2024