Necessity to set PSL on long term path.

• Author: Nisar, Ahsan
• Position: Pakistan Super League

Byline: Ahsan Nisar

An interview with Mr. Aqeel Samar - Radio presenter and emerging commentator

PAGE: Tell us something about yourself

AQS: I started my media career as a Radio presenter and this passion still runs in the blood. Doing cricket commentary was always a larger than life dream as it is the best seat in the house. Back in 2006, when Muhammad Yousuf set a world record by scoring most runs in a calendar year, I requested the FM Radio producer to give me a go as same channel used to cover all cricket happenings in Pakistan. He reluctantly but thankfully allowed me to sit along with Chishty Mujahid and Hasan Jaleel in National Stadium Karachi. Since then, every second spent on a lip microphone gives me feeling of flying without wings.

PAGE: How do you think is PSL (Pakistan Super League) beneficial for Pakistan economy?

AQS: In order to understand the benefits of a league like PSL, I think we should first look around and see what it had done in the UAE. The first three editions were almost fully staged over there whereby not only their two stadiums got activity day-in day-out for around three weeks but also a long list of people profited from the occasion, like the hotels, event management, transport, airline and who not.

Once it was transferred to Pakistan, same uptick was expected over here, but I don't think that the true potential is off by many a miles. Mainly the hotels have remained occupied but since there is a dearth of quality 5-star hotels in Lahore and Karachi, so I am sure they didn't appreciate much the business which came their way.

Hence I would say that in order to reap the benefits of an event of such magnitude, PCB should make some longer term goals in coordination with provincial and federal governments. PCB need a lot of capacity building and at the same time it can trigger the potential investors to join in.

Very recently, the new Chairman has been working in full throttle towards somewhat similar direction as he has been meeting business tycoons in Karachi and also working towards commercializing the stadium. I would say if it can make some use of the land available around National Stadium Karachi, it will kill many birds with one stone. PCB can built an upscale hotel giving revenue stream to Sindh Cricket and itself, it can add to the list of handful of so-called five star hotels in the metropolitan and it will also solve the commuting problems faced during any cricketing event.

I would like to see...