Pakistan's star wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan made some stunning remarks about the Pakistan Super League (PSL) ahead of the PSL 2023 player draft, which can easily be seen as a downgrading statement for the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The IPL is the richest and most popular T20 league in the world, where players not only get a big stage to showcase their potential but also get fame and fortune. Players not only from India but overseas also enrich their knowledge of playing ins some of the toughest conditions and pressure situations in the IPL.
While IPL started in 2008, PSL began in 2016, where many notable names from the world of cricket have participated for the past few seasons, but there is still a huge gap between the two leagues in many ways.
But Rizwan has a different take when it comes to competition, as the Pakistan vice-captain has labeled the PSL as the toughest franchise league in the world at the moment.
As reported by Hindustan Times, Mohammad Rizwan said during his interaction with reporters ahead of the PSL player draft: “Hamko pata hai ki PSL ne duniya ko hairaan kar diya hai. Shuru me baatein ho rahi thi ki PSL kaamyaab nahi hoga, but abhi hamein khud, as a player feel ho raha hai ki ye PSL ne kya dhoom macha di hai duniya me. Ham keh rahe hai ki IPL hai, but iss time duniya ke players se pucha jaye, jo yahan se khelke jaate hain, vo keh rahe hain ki duniya ki sabse tough league Pakistan ki hai.
(PSL has stunned the entire world. There were talks earlier that PSL won't be successful, but even us, as a player, have felt that PSL is a success. The IPL is there, but if you ask any player around the world who has played in the PSL, he would say that Pakistan's league is the toughest in the world.)”
He further credited PSL for giving a wealth of backup players to the Pakistani team in years.
He added, “Idhar se koi reserve player bhi hota hai, toh vo bhi internationally bench pe baitha hota hai. Pakistan ki backup agar mazbooti se mil rahi hai, usme PSL ka bohot ahem kirdaar hai. (The players who are reserves here, they are sitting on the bench at the international level as well. Pakistan are getting good backup players, and PSL should get credit for that).”
