ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board received an overwhelming response from millions of cricket-starved fans, even if it didn’t succeed in spotting a new fast bowler or unearth a new batting star in its inaugural professional Twenty20 league in the United Arab Emirates.
Islamabad United, led by Pakistan test captain Misbah-ul-Haq, defeated Quetta Gladiators by six wickets at a packed Dubai International Cricket Stadium late Tuesday to conclude a three-week Pakistan Super League.
Millions of fans stayed tuned in across Pakistan until after midnight throughout the tournament, which also featured teams including Pakistan Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi’s Peshawar Zalmi, Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik-led Karachi Kings and Pakistan ODI captain Azhar Ali’s Lahore Qalandars.
“It’s our own league, I haven’t missed a single ball of it,” said Yousuf Mustafa, a 19-year-old college student in Islamabad. “PSL is more than a World Cup to me, I wished it could have been played in Pakistan.”
An attack on the Sri Lankan team’s bus in 2009 at Lahore shut the doors on test nations touring Pakistan before Zimbabwe broke the deadlock by playing a limited-overs series — also in Lahore — last year.
Convincing foreign players from other major cricket countries like Australia, England, New Zealand, West Indies and South Africa to tour Pakistan was almost impossible, so the PCB finally decided to host the PSL on neutral venue in the UAE.
Chris Gayle, Kevin Pietersen, Shane Watson, Luke Wright and Andre Russell were among the 29 foreign players who signed up for the five franchises. Cricket greats Viv Richards and Wasim Akram were associated as mentors for Gladiators and United respectively and played pivotal roles in guiding their teams to the final.
“Today it’s the victory of people of Pakistan — nobody has lost, its victory for everyone,” PSL chairman Najam Sethi said during the prize ceremony.
Sethi, who is also one of the PCB’s governing board members, initiated the idea of staging the PSL along similar lines to lucrative Indian Premier League, Big Bash in Australia and Bangladesh Premier League.
After twice postponing the PSL, late last year Sethi finally managed to kick off the league by selling the five franchises for $93 million over a period of 10 years.
“The league has been a success and there are good chances some of the franchises will go close to the break even after the first edition. The PCB is also very close to breaking even,” he said.
United was rewarded with three of its unheralded players — Mohammad Sami, Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif — were drafted into Pakistan’s squad for next month’s World Twenty20 in India. Gladiators’ uncapped left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz has also been labelled as one of the players to watch out on spin-friendly wickets in India.
“You can see lots of youngsters coming up ... they are getting more chances to harness their skills and handle the pressure. That’s what IPL did for India, that’s what BPL did for Bangladesh,” Misbah said.
Sethi said he had spoken with Pietersen about convincing player associations across the world to send cricketers to Pakistan for the second of the PSL.
“I promise you the way we have done the hard work, hopefully we will bring this league in Pakistan too,” Sethi said.
Misbah said foreign players got a mild taste of what it would be like to play in a Pakistan competition during their three-week stay in the United Arab Emirates, and hoped it will help bring international cricket back to Pakistan.
“This is one way you can build confidence of players coming from Australia, England, West Indies and Bangladesh,” he said. “When you get confidence and know from other players that Pakistan is a safer country, it will be possible for the Pakistan Cricket Board to bring back international cricket to Pakistan.”
PSL gets overwhelming response in cricket-starved Pakistan
PSL gets overwhelming response in cricket-starved Pakistan
Benzema grabs hat-trick on Al-Hilal debut as Blues cruise to victory over Al-Okhdood
RIYADH: Karim Benzema had a debut to remember on Thursday, just days after completing a blockbuster move to Al-Hilal from Al-Ittihad.
The Frenchman, who had scored eight goals for his former side this season, took his tally to 11 as he grabbed a hat-trick against home side Al-Okhdood.
Benzema, wearing the No. 90 jersey, led the line in Najran as Al-Hilal sought to hit the 50-point mark in the Saudi Pro League and maintain their lead at the top. With Al-Ahli just three points behind and playing at the same time against Al-Hazem, victory was imperative.
Flanked by Malcom and Salem Al-Dawsari, Benzema enjoyed a comfortable first outing with the Blues. As he dropped deep to overload the midfield and drifted intelligently between attacking channels, a goal on his debut always felt inevitable.
After a goal resulting from slick combination between Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Al-Dawsari was ruled out because of a foul by Ali Lajami in the build-up, the game remained goalless in the opening half hour.
But then Benzema, targeting the same channels as Milinkovic-Savic and Al-Dawsari, dropped deep to initiate a move before advancing into the six-yard box to backheel the opener in the 31st minute.
Fifteen minutes after the break, Kalidou Koulibaly won possession high up the pitch before releasing Malcom into space, who squared for Benzema to tap home his second.
Al-Dawsari created Benzema’s third just three minutes later, after Milinkovic-Savic carried the ball toward the box and gave the winger a chance to pick out Benzema with a low cross.
Pundits on official broadcaster Thmanyah highlighted the role Benzema was playing in helping Al-Hilal diversify their attacking play. With the trio of Malcom, Milinkovic-Savic and Al-Dawsari missing a consistent, clinical striker to provide for until now — 10 players in the league have scored more goals than Al-Hilal’s top scorer Marcos Leonardo — Benzema provided the final piece of the puzzle and completed it with full marks on his first appearance.
With the clock ticking down, Al-Hilal capitalized as Al-Okhdood tired, and Malcom grabbed his side’s fourth goal in the 70th minute, before Al-Dawsari added a brace to complete an emphatic 6-0 rout.
Over in Jeddah, Al-Ahli faced a visiting Al-Hazem side led by the last striker to guide the Greens to a league title, Omar Al-Somah. The Syrian striker failed to make much of an an impact on his return to Al-Inma Stadium, however.
After a difficult first half against resilient opponents, Ivan Toney finally broke the deadlock in the 58th minute to extend his tally at the top of the Pro League goal-scoring chart to 19. It came when veteran keeper Ibrahim Zaid, deputizing in goal for Bruno Varela who was forced off in the 33rd minute due to injury, spilled a corner, allowing Toney to pounce and tap in from close range.
Any hope of a comeback was extinguished in the 76th minute when Sultan Tanker bundled the ball into his own net following a low cross from Mohammed Abdulrahman.
Earlier, Al-Fayha defeated Al-Najma 3-0 at home to move ahead of Al-Hazem into 11th place in the league. The visitors continue to endure the worst start to a season in Pro League history, becoming the first team to go 20 matches without a victory.
On Friday, NEOM host Al-Riyadh at 5:25 p.m. and Al-Ettifaq face visitors Damac at 6 p.m., before the weekend’s blockbuster match-up as Al-Nassr host Al-Ittihad at 8:30 p.m.
