- PSL Promoting Youngsters – An Exaggerated Truth? - March 15, 2023
- Over 50s World Cup – Pakistan Team is all set to challenge! - March 6, 2023
- Bold or Rigid – A critical check on Babar Azam’s captaincy - December 26, 2022
Pakistan Super League over the years has been revered as a platform for providing unremitting opportunities to emerging names. The emanation of characters like Saim Ayub, Ihsanullah, Abbas Afridi etc in the ongoing edition supports the very claim. But on the flip side of the coin, there is a noticeable list of young guns silently waiting for the drought to end. An unending drought that is compelling them to carry the water bottles day in and day out, but the thirst of franchises remains unquenched. PSL promoting youngsters is evidently a disguised painting that certainly needs revision.
The opportunity to get assembled with the global stars is indeed a riveting aspect of PSL that it offers to all the developing players out there. But in a competition where every team plays a minimum of 10 matches, Is that solemnly enough?
PSL Promoting Youngsters – Is the Concept proving to be a myth?
Quetta Gladiators won three matches in their entire PSL Season 8 campaign, the story was proportional in the last edition as well where they managed to hold onto four victories. Although there are several inadequacies behind that but unsettled Batting Lineup remained a prominent and persistent headache amongst all. Yet the franchise management remained sceptical in lending a single opportunity out to youngsters like Saud Shakeel. Saud led the Sindh squad which became the Champion in National T20 Cup 2022/23.
The whole scenario isn’t confined to Saud Shakeel or Quetta Gladiators alone. There is a sizeable list of youngsters from all the franchises who regardless of whether them finding it amusing or not are facing such circumstances. Following is the list of a few players along with the drastic opportunities they have had in PSL Season 8.
| S.No | Player | Franchise | No. of Matches Played |
| 1 | Zeeshan Zamir | Islamabad United | 3 |
| 2 | Hassan Nawaz | Islamabad United | 3 |
| 3 | Abrar Ahmed | Islamabad United | 3 |
| 4 | Qasim Akram | Karachi Kings | 3 |
| 5 | Musa Khan | Karachi Kings | 3 |
| 6 | Mohammad Umar | Karachi Kings | 2 |
| 7 | Mohammad Akhlaq | Karachi Kings | 1 |
| 8 | Dilbar Hussain | Lahore Qalandars | 1 |
| 9 | Shahwaiz Irfan | Lahore Qalandars | 1 |
| 10 | Ahmed Daniyal | Lahore Qalandars | 0 |
| 11 | Jalat Khan | Lahore Qalandars | 0 |
| 12 | Sameen Gul | Multan Sultans | 4 |
| 13 | Usman Khan | Multan Sultans | 2 |
| 14 | Mohammad Sarwar | Multan Sultans | 0 |
| 15 | Arafat Minhas | Multan Sultans | 0 |
| 16 | Salman Irshad | Peshawar Zalmi | 4 |
| 17 | Usman Qadir | Peshawar Zalmi | 3 |
| 18 | Khurram Shehzad | Peshawar Zalmi | 3 |
| 19 | Danish Aziz | Peshawar Zalmi | 0 |
| 20 | Abdul Wahid Bangalzai | Quetta Gladiators | 4 |
| 21 | Omair Bin Yousuf | Quetta Gladiators | 2 |
| 22 | Saud Shakeel | Quetta Gladiators | 0 |
Obviously, the list fails to take into account the surrounding factors like form, performances and team requirements, etc. But certainly does shed light upon the overhyped fact of PSL promoting youngsters.
It is sensitive to take into account the enormous sum of investments made by franchises. But at the very moment, it is extremely crucial to realize that the careers of these young men are even more vital.
- Why change a winning eleven?
- Why risk a youngster in there when we already are struggling?
This blatant mindset is resultantly putting the careers of players at stake or at the very least putting a pointless pause in there. The severity of this under-discussed fact varies from franchise to franchise but the self-centred approach of a few of the teams is no longer a concealed reality.
Also Read:
