Pakistan’s robust population growth and the accelerating buying behavior of the consumers transformed Pakistan Super League in a short period of time. As a short-format high-value cricket league, it features the participation of major international cricketers who not only visit Pakistan to join one of the franchised teams in the competitive tournament but act as an ambassador of their country. Using the sociological framework of glocalization, the intersection of the global economic forces and the local culture that celebrates cricket has created a glocal space for its performance, and with the mediation of communication technology, it has widened the viewership globally.
Infused with Pakistani money, motifs, and meanings, a new spectacle of consumption is on offer. Thus, emerging consumer culture has transformed the game itself by adding a showbiz quality that impacts cultural globalization, by homogenizing and heterogenizing, an essential characteristic of glocalization.
The epicenter of cricket has undoubtedly migrated to Asia through these cricket leagues (Pakistan, India and Bangladesh), where this tectonic shift is the result of both parties i.e. the enormous cricket-loving audiences and the new wealthy consumer society that have just evolved.
Similarly, this game’s commercialization started abroad and recently found a new center in these nations and there is no doubt in the fact that global Cricket and these cricket leagues now emerge as a consumer good. Since the late 1980s, television has become increasingly important in the popularization of cricket as well as in the development of a new celebrity cult for cricketers on par with that of movie stars. As a result, both broadcast and billboard advertising have grown rapidly in Pakistan. The promotion of numerous consumer items by well-known Pakistani cricketing players has now become a common feature of the Pakistani landscape and after the influx of money over time, cricket itself become a competitive commercialized cricket in the form of PSL.
Glocalization being the hybrid version of globalization and localization emphasis on globalization of localized goods instead of providing full space to the global market to abolish the local markets where cricket and many other sports have a very good ability to translate this glocalization theory into practice by adding the glocality that is, adding global players into local teams where teams have both local and foreign fan base and support and where the fans are the consumers of entertainment instead of being the narrow version of his/herself as a regional and national activist.
Being one of the strongest cricket-loving nation, Pakistan provides an opportunity to reflect on the consequences of cultural globalization, at once homogenizing and heterogenizing, and engendering cultural syntheses that illustrate the dynamics of glocalization.
The global interface of Pakistan cricket and glocalization processes interact to create vibrant consumer spectacles that are heavily influenced by Pakistani culture, themes, and meanings. In Pakistan, cricket also fosters a glocal environment that combines cosmopolitanism with novel expressions of local and regional identity.
International players must perform together for “local” teams in front of local, national, and international consumers where cricket appears with its new commercialized face in which the cricket fields or stadiums are quickly transformed into glocal areas and the venues become a fusion of a variety of cultures, showcasing cricketing stars and their matches which incorporating the advertisement of both local and global corporations.
Running television commentaries are provided glocally by commentators from Pakistan, India, West Indies, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere dressed in purportedly traditional Pakistani outfits promoting mix cultures and harmony. If we make an effort to understand PSL as a brand-new and creative cricketing format, from the viewpoints of glocalization and consumer then we realize the fact that how market logic is gradually taking over the sport as a whole, despite the fact that this characteristic is intricately linked to international dynamics.
More precisely, we may conclude with the fact that PSL has heavily influenced post-colonial Pakistani culture without rupturing the traditional Pakistan culture where Pakistan appears as a new venue for the geo-cultural location which promotes a mix of local and global culture translated into better economic outcomes.
The growing international relevance of the PSL largely influences the Pakistani diaspora and we may observe this through the subscription and installation of satellite dishes and channels in various Western regions. Many of the latter are likely constructed specifically to allow entry to events in the PSL. In this regard, the relationship between the producer and the consumer of cricket is a prime illustration of both glocalization and contemporary consumerism.
Promotion of sports not only accelerates tourism in the country but in the long run influences the opinions of those searching to visit, invest in, conduct business with, and interact personally with Pakistanis.
Many Pakistanis living overseas claim that the PSL, which is being played in Pakistani cities, has inspired their second and third generations to travel home and experience traditional culture. The same is true for commercial organizations that have PSL investments. The experience they have gained will allow them to take part in and make investments in international sports projects, which will bring royalties back to Pakistan.
Benefit for local industries
Many Pakistani media outlets couldn’t afford to fly the crew and equipment abroad, and some had never covered sports events in the history of their channels. Such media organizations now have a new genre to add to their achievements. PSL and the resurgence of sports tourism in Pakistan have benefited local industries related to cricket, including those producing sports equipment, food and beverages, preparing playing fields and building the necessary infrastructure, packaging, insurance, transportation, lodging, dining, and travel-related businesses.
In the majority of these local businesses and services, temporary employment openings were established along with the potential for talented workers to land permanent positions the success of one cricket player is influenced by the trainers, dieticians, and other professionals who work with them.
Greater economic impact
The Pakistani players who are currently the subject of keen interest from international sports analysts stand to gain from international endorsements as well. The improvements made in cricket are having an impact on other sports as well. Participation of all poor and rich as an audience also promote social equity and the infusion of foreign currency into the local market benefit money exchange and financial businesses. If we limit the economic outcomes of PSL to just the favorable marketing it attracts, we will have a narrow perspective. The overall economic impact is much greater. It is encouraging to see that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), a government organization, is generating income for the government as well as the local economy but still requires organizational learning at every step for its promotion as more communication between security and police personnel are required to avoid road jams and closures as it negatively impacts local economy because there were several local businesses, companies, and schools that had to be shuttered while the matches were going on.
We also note that restricting foreign rivals’ access to the top hotels led to a general dearth of supply for other businesses wishing to conduct their meetings. Legislative incentives are desperately needed to promote the development of top-notch hotels with the necessary security precautions. As we have occasionally discussed sports besides cricket, and the connection to sports, in general, has a large impact on the growth and future of the PSL. One way to look at the growing commercialization of the latter depends on cricket and other sports. However, there is a risk that the current disciplinary and political propensity to view everything as having an economic meaning may trump the study of cricket, as with other sports.
The Author is MD IRP/ Faculty Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, Bahria University Karachi