Why PSL 2022 is a reminder of the ECB's flimsy pullout from Pakistan tour
Four months after the board called off the visit to the country, a number of English players will now be part of the league
English players dominate the overseas player pool at the PSL AFP via Getty Images
The Pakistan Super League is a finishing school for England's best T20 cricketers. Since the league's inception in 2016, England players have become increasingly popular to the extent that they now dominate the overseas player pool at the PSL, with nearly two-dozen due to appear in the 2022 edition which starts on Thursday.
Ten of the playing XI for their first T20 international against West Indies on Saturday have PSL experience and the only exception, Adil Rashid, has expressed his desire to play in it in future. Eight members of the squad for that tour will fly from Barbados to Pakistan straight after this series to join up with their respective teams, and all six teams have English representation in their squads.
A number of players have furthered their international cases through their involvement, including
Phil Salt,
Saqib Mahmood and
Tymal Mills. "Playing for Peshawar Zalmi was a massive stepping stone for me to play for England,"
Dawid Malan said back in 2019. "The pressure you get as an overseas player is like no other - it sets you up for when you get back to international cricket," added
Liam Livingstone.
The involvement of leading overseas players in the PSL has been a contributing factor in bringing international cricket back to Pakistan on a regular basis.
Chris Jordan and Malan both played in - and won - the
2017 final, the first PSL game staged in Pakistan rather than the UAE; five years later, 23 English players will travel to Karachi and Lahore with full confidence in security arrangements.
The 2022 edition clashes with several international series and the Bangladesh Premier League, but falls during a rare break in England's schedule. There is a wide range of players involved: leading internationals, T20 circuit regulars,
young players cutting their teeth and senior county pros looking for franchise experience. There are even two English coaches leading franchises in Peter Moores (Karachi Kings) and James Foster (Peshawar Zalmi).
But if the English influx is mutually beneficial, it also serves as a reminder that only four months ago, the ECB decided to
call off men's and women's tours to Pakistan on the flimsiest grounds imaginable through a statement laced with hypocrisy and innuendo.
"We know there are increasing concerns about travelling to the region and believe that going ahead will add further pressure to a playing group who have already coped with a long period of operating in restricted Covid environments," the statement said.
The Team England Player Partnership later clarified that the players had not been consulted over the decision; Ramiz Raja, the PCB's chairman, said that Pakistan felt as though they had been "used and binned".