Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi issued warning to Indian Premier League and said that Pakistan Super League (PSL) is making rapid strides and will soon beat IPL to become world’s top franchise T20 event.
With both IPL and PSL happening simultaneously but in contrasting situations. PSL matches are limited to two venues and being played behind closed doors. While on the other hand, IPL matches is being held across mutiple cities and packed stadiums.
His remarks have come during a meeting of the PCB Board of Governors, where Naqvi said that PSL has emerged as a huge investment market, with investors ready to come on board. He belives that with investments flowing in the league could grow rapidly in the coming years.
“The PSL has now become the best market for investment,” Naqvi said. “The time is not far when the PSL will become the world’s number one league.”
Naqvi’s statement comes even though there is a big difference between the two leagues. The IPL is far bigger in terms of money, with its media rights worth around USD 6 billion, while the PSL’s are valued at about USD 93 million. The IPL also earns over USD 1 billion every year, compared to roughly USD 60 million generated by the PSL.
Recent rankings by the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) show a similar gap. The PSL is placed fifth with 48 points, while the IPL is third with 62.2 points. The Hundred tops the list with 75.2 points, followed by SA20 with 68.
The current PSL season was also marred by controversies. Fakhar Zaman was suspended for two matches after being found guilty of ball tampering. In another incident, Shaheen Afridi and Sikandar Raza were penalised for bringing unauthorised guests into the team hotel, which was considered a security breach.
