NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has highlighted the contrasting trajectories of India and Pakistan in the cricketing world. His comments come in the wake of India’s undefeated 2024 T20 World Cup triumph, while Pakistan faced an early exit in the group stages.
Latif’s Observations on IPL vs. PSL
Latif pointed out the disparity between the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He emphasized that while the IPL has become a global powerhouse, the PSL has struggled to evolve. “India, like their film industry, developed a cricket industry. We treat cricket as a hobby, which is why we couldn’t turn it into a business. PSL is still where it started. The highest salary cap is $1.40 lakh. Why can’t we push it further? Why can’t we have players like Mitchell Starc or Pat Cummins? Because we don’t have the money, so there’s no business,” Latif said.
India’s Strategic Expansion
Latif further elaborated on India’s strategic expansion in cricket, attributing their success to learning from foreign coaches and grassroots level development. “India didn’t become a reckoning force in world cricket recently. Go back to 2007, 2011, 2015. They have gained knowledge from foreign coaches and worked at the grassroots level without being noticed. Then IPL came into play, and now they have all the best minds with them. They have Ponting with DC, Hussey, and Bravo. But what are we doing?” Latif added.
India’s Recent Triumphs
India’s recent successes, including the T20 World Cup win and their runner-up finish in the 2023 ODI World Cup, underscore their dominance in white-ball cricket. In sharp contrast, Pakistan has found it challenging to leave a mark in major cricket tournaments recently.
Call for Strategic Planning in Pakistan
Latif’s remarks draw attention to the challenges that Pakistan cricket faces in creating a sustainable business model. He advocates for enhanced strategic planning to uplift the PSL and improve Pakistan’s cricketing infrastructure.