Pakistan Super League bats for peace

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Pakistan Super League bats for peace
Peshawar Zalmi from the 'City of Flowers' is blooming in the UAE.

Ambition returns to Pakistan cricket with the staging of the PSL. The cricketing show must go on. The willow will triumph over weapons.

By Jehan Sher Yusufzai

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Published: Fri 12 Feb 2016, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Sat 13 Feb 2016, 7:29 AM

Pakistan is back in the news for the right reasons, thanks to cricket being staged in the UAE. At the Pakistan Super League (PSL), there's edge of the seat excitement, away from living on the edge in cities like Peshawar on the violent Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Peshawar Zalmi from the 'City of Flowers' is blooming in the UAE, with other sides like Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United.
No more terror, just let the bat do the talking. Bullets and blasts are no match for the free flow of the willow when the big names of Pakistan and international cricket walk down the pitch and pile on the runs. Pakistani expats in the UAE love to watch their heroes in action. Fours and sixes pour. Many boundaries are crossed. Fear has taken a beating and there's loads of fun.
Back in Peshawar, the city has to literally battle with militant and terrorist elements almost day in and day out. The situation is fragile, society is on tenterhooks. The city has to contend with suicide bombings and terror attacks, with one of the deadliest being the Army Public School massacre in 2014 in which 148 innocents were killed. Blasts and shootings in the country have dealt a massive blow to national cricket. Foreign teams have stopped coming to Pakistan; this has hurt the game which is running short of money.
But the UAE stepped in when things looked bleak to become the new home of Pakistan cricket. This country believes sport should not be held hostage to terror and we salute them for this gesture.
The new league will discover new talents in the country that would give a stronger base to the national team. Young players from Pakistan can boost their confidence by pitting their skills against the best in the world.
So let them battle it out over a game of cricket. Teams like Peshawar Zalmi could transform Peshawar city into a hub of cricket with their exploits in the UAE. From recent action this team could go all the way.
It has flamboyant all-rounder and captain Shahid Afridi. Boom Boom Afridi is a widely recognised specialist in the T20 format. He is a hard-hitter as well as a good bowler.
Now to the question. Can Pakistan become a leading cricket power again? It can, with tournaments like this. The UAE has given Pakistan cricket a fresh lease of life and the country's teams should grab the opportunity.
Pakistan cricket reached a high in 1992 after winning the World Cup, but should not rest on past glories. The Pakistan Cricket Board must be commended for thinking up the PSL on the lines of the hugely successful Indian Cricket League.
Yes, cricket needs funds to survive in Pakistan. The players, coaches, support staff and administrators have to be paid. Corporate sponsors should find it worth associating with the franchise.
The board has big plans for the future too, which extends to playing in Pakistan, in cities like Karachi and Lahore when the situation improves there.
For this edition, players have been selected under Platinum ($190,000), Diamond ($65,000), Gold($47,000), Silver($28,000) and Emerging ($25,000) categories. This will continue for three years before the league is expanded to a 59-match tournament.
Ambition returns to Pakistan cricket with the staging of the PSL. The cricketing show must go on. The willow will triumph over weapons.


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