Cricket League, Football League etc. are quite widespread in almost every part of the globe these days. Resurgence of sports activities is an emblem of wholesome activities which must be encouraged at every nook and corner. Football, without any contention, is the most viewed sport across the world, however, cricket is fast catching up as a sport in the global arena. The nations once in different to cricket are either playing or are in the trend of creating their national cricket teams to compete at the international level.
Cricket has undergone a metamorphosis from just Test matches of five days to T20, which speaks volumes of the hectic pace of life where no one has gotten patience to hang on for five complete days to get a draw result in some cases. Well, test matches are still the sign of skill, patience and temperament. There is no denying that Test cricketer is the cricketer in essence.
Times have changed, and so has cricket. Besides their national teams, almost every cricket playing nation has gotten ample cricket at local and regional levels to promote the talent. The most-viewed and the most-played cricket is the short format cricket in almost every part of the world. This has prompted the mushroom growth of T20 tournaments.
South Asians by and large are deemed cricket freaks. Be it Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh, cricket is played widely in villages, town and large cities. The entire world is acquainted with The Pakistan Super League (PSL), The Indian Premier League (IPL), The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and The Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL). The Pakistan Super League was founded in September 2015 and its first season was held in 2016. The Indian Premier League originated in 2007. The Bangladesh Premier League was established in 2011. The first season of The Sri Lanka Premier League was played in 2012.
PSL is a stepping stone for the new breed of cricketers who get elite exposure and experience once selected. It is presumed that this league has triggered more professionalism and ample academies have mushroomed across the country, which is going to help the national team in the long run. Major chunk of revenue in cricket is generated from broadcasting deals depending on the viewership. Pakistan being one of the most populated countries with over 220 million people is an attraction for the broadcasters. It is not only the local viewership but also the global viewership which brings bucks to the kitty. There is no denying that PSL has gotten the reputation of being one of the most-viewed leagues in the entire world. According to a conservative estimate, the viewership of PSL may be beyond 80 million this year. Viewership is beefing up and the league is getting more popular tantalizing foreign players from a number of countries namely the West Indies, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, England, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Bangladesh etc. One must say this is just the beginning. Though the initial seasons were entirely and then partially played in the UAE, the time has come that all 34 matches are being played in Pakistan and the international players seem to be more than willing to chip in. This has further prompted the resumption of international cricket in Pakistan, the recent instance being the tour of the South Africans. PSL has so far received a monumental response from the passionate Pakistani cricket fans who are willing to go to any length to support the sport. TV sets and large screens are a common sight in Pakistan during the PSL matches right from a village to a metropolis.
The Indian Premier League since its inception in 2007 has been fascinating the sponsors. It is deemed the first sporting event in the world to be broadcast live on YouTube. It is estimated that the worth of the IPL is over $7 billion which must be contributing a lot to the national GDP.
There is no denying that The Pakistan Super League is going to be one of the leading leagues in the not-too-distant-future earning billions of dollars through TV broadcasting rights and sponsorships. The PSL is not as gigantic as the IPL, however, the PSL has gotten the potential to pull crowds and become at the center of the global sports arena. Hats off to those came up with the notion of launching the PSL, which has become a delight for every Pakistani living in Pakistan and abroad.