Originally appeared in Dunya Opinion
The third edition of Pakistan Super League is nearly half way through and despite a number of high profile dropouts and low attendance, the overall excitement and hype is as large as can be. With the addition of the sixth team and improved performances by Karachi Kings, the league currently is in equilibrium with the fans waiting to see which two teams can make it to Karachi on March 25 for the final.
Karachi Kings have finally arrived as they remain the only unbeaten team after 4 rounds. Led by an energetic and dramatic Imad Wasim, they have finally gelled into a working unit. Their fans will be hoping that they make it to final on home ground.
Multan Sultans have emerged as a very comprehensive team and it comes as no surprise as their picks during the PSL draft showed planning and understanding and the dividends are paying off. Shoaib Malik, Kumar Sangakkara and Imran Tahir are bringing their international experience to this event. They are among the favorites to reach the final.
Peshawar Zalmi’s Darren Sammy played the innings of the event (and possibly his life!) when he snatched the match from Quetta Gladiators by hitting 17 off 5 balls on one leg, literally. They started the event with a defeat but are currently well placed with two wins and losses apiece.
Quetta Gladiators have had a quiet tournament so far; they are lacking the consistency of first two seasons but they bounced back to win back-to-back matches comprehensively after a defeat in their opening match. They were well on their way to win their third consecutive match until Sammy’s brilliance stopped them. Their top order is inconsistent with Shane Watson mindlessly going after every ball, something that’s quite apparent when he got out on 3 consecutive balls. Their fast bowling department remains a bigger concern and without taking away any credit from Sammy, Anwar Ali did bowl poor deliveries with no game plan. With Jorfa Archer out of the remaining matches, they’ll be hoping that Ben Laughlin helps the attack.
Islamabad United is also having a mixed tournament where they became the first to beat Multan Sultans, but since have suffered defeats against Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi. Their latest win in the first super-over of the PSL is a big boost for their morale and they can now aim for more consistency to win the title which can be a fitting farewell for the veteran Misbah ul Haq, if he decides to hang up his boots at the end of this tournament.
This brings us to the most consistent team of the three editions – the Qalandars. They have finished last in each of the first two editions, and by the looks of it barring some Hollywood-inspired turnaround they are going to end the tournament at the bottom of the table once more. Representing the second biggest city of the country, they are yet to learn anything from the first two editions. Since the first edition, they have adopted a strategy of going after star players or the “Galácticos” – in the first edition they had Gayle, Delport, D Bravo, Umar Akmal, and Hammad Azam who are big hitters of the ball but not inning-builders.
In the second season, they replaced Gayle with Brendon McCullum with addition of players like Jason Roy and Sunil Narine but their fortunes didn’t improve. In the third season they went for a power hitter in the form of Chris Lynn, who couldn’t play due to injury but he probably wasn’t the answer to their problems anyway. Now half way into the third season, they’re up the creek without a paddle. Owned by the fan favourite Rana Fawad, the team needs a complete overhaul. McCullum is more like a captain that just shows up for the job; he looks disinterested, colliding with his own fielders while trying to take catches that aren’t his to take and then standing at the boundary during the all-important Super Over. The batting order keeps on changing; they lost 7 wickets for 4 runs in the first match, 8 for 59 in the second, 9 for 52 in the third and 8 for 35 in their last match. Batting collapses are part of game but their batter’s strategy is mind boggling, with run a ball needed in their last match, each and every batsman went slogging away which ended in their 6th consecutive loss for the franchise across 2 series.
The management of rest of the teams including their coaches and mentors is playing a proactive role. Sir Vivian Richards is now one of the most recognisable faces of PSL, but Lahore Qalandar`s management was nowhere to be found. You could see their coach through the window of the dressing room only, while Dean Jones was out there calling for the time-out which ultimately resulted in the win for United. Their batting was described as “stupid cricket” by their own coach but aren’t they the ones responsible to pick, select and then coach the team?
The owner has been the target of a lot of memes and friendly banter along with a general wave of sympathy, but he is also to be blamed for sticking with the same strategy and management for the 3rd consecutive season. It is his responsibility as the owner to step up and take necessary actions before his own dreams fade away. Though his inaction can win him a seat on the Arsenal Football Club board but to inculcate the winning mentality, drastic changes are needed in strategy and management.
Losing six matches is not the issue here. The point is the way they threw away matches from winning positions. One can hope they improve. After all, we all would love to celebrate with him on “Damadam Mast Qalandar” in pure Lahori style.
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