Daily Times

KARACHI: Former Australian cricketer Tom moody and West Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Ian Bishop have rued the lack of quality local batting talent on display in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Many foreign cricketers have often praised the quality of pacers available in the PSL. However, it’s the shortage of power-hitters in Pakistan domestic circuit, which often compels the PSL franchises to look at foreign batsmen to plug that hole. While speaking in The Pitch Side Experts Podcast, Bishop said the over-reliance on foreign batsmen by PSL franchises might hamper the development of young Pakistani batsmen.

“We saw a very good young player in Haider Ali opening the batting in Under 19 World Cup and then having a really good PSL. How and where does Pakistan develop their young batting talent if they get so many overseas batsmen to fill the batting weakness in PSL? They have to,” said Bishop. Moody believes Pakistan needs to have a hard look at their domestic structure in order to produce quality batsmen. “They have to develop the young batsmen outside that franchise model. The domestic structure around the PSL is vital to their acceleration,” said Moody. “I am sure Pakistan has recognised that there is a slight dip in the depth of their batting. You have to ask the questions. Is it the surfaces they are playing on or is there a lack of coaching and guidance around the technical side of batsman ship which is missing? There is got to be a reason because Pakistan have had some really fine batsmen historically,” he added.

However, the former Australian all-rounder added that the value of tournaments like PSL cannot be discounted, as they provide an opportunity for youngsters to share space with world-class cricketers. “A young talented batsman may not be in the starting eleven but sharing the dressing room with the likes of AB de Villiers or Jos Buttler will be a great learning experience,” he said. “That’s the advantage of these high-profile tournaments. You are not just learning on the field under pressure, but you are also learning in the dressing room environment and training sessions.”