PSL Draft 2025: Kamran Akmal lashes out at poor arrangements
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00:00Mr. Shahid, a very important question.
00:01It's been a decade of hard work for HBL-PSL
00:05after which the league has become so popular.
00:08Didn't you think the draft could have been better?
00:11The production quality was very bad.
00:14It was a daytime event.
00:15It was a weird setting.
00:17I got a point when the mic wasn't working for a long time
00:21and we were talking.
00:22So, the transmission that they had planned for the draft
00:26couldn't have been better?
00:29I was disappointed to see how popular PSL is in the world
00:34with its playing standards.
00:36And now there are more good players.
00:40So, the match didn't go according to plan.
00:43And the way the production problems were,
00:46the Pakistan Cricket Board,
00:48and especially its chairman Mohsin Naqvi,
00:51should take notice of this.
00:52Because they want to improve everything.
00:56They don't look at the time in the morning, noon, and night
01:01and look at everything.
01:03So, when you look at the activities of the Pakistan Super League,
01:08which is a separate department,
01:10you feel disappointed.
01:11And the way the other leagues are drafted,
01:17the IPL was drafted in Saudi Arabia.
01:19Obviously, we can't match it.
01:21They spend ten times more money and earn ten times more.
01:24But we can have a better ceremony in our limited budget.
01:29Absolutely.
01:29Kamran, if you had to do this in Huzoori Bagh,
01:33if you were showing your culture and heritage,
01:35it could have been done better.
01:37And I think the production wasn't well-coordinated.
01:40What is your opinion on this?
01:44I was thinking that it's been nine years
01:47and this is our tenth season.
01:49And the players who have come this year...
01:51The venue was great.
01:53Just look at the venue.
01:55Hassan Cheema and Sikand are talking about it.
01:59It's so beautiful.
02:00They've shown the city.
02:01And I thought there would be a lot of excitement.
02:04People would be very involved.
02:05I feel like I'm in the famous fish market in Lahore.
02:08And they're sitting there eating fish.
02:11I felt like this.
02:12When will Pakistan become professional?
02:17When will they show the world?
02:19They're making fun of Pakistan's cricket.
02:22India has auctioned in Saudi Arabia.
02:27They have fans from every franchise.
02:29Couldn't they have made a stand behind every franchise?
02:35They built a stadium in New York and had a World Cup match.
02:40Couldn't they have put 50-100 fans behind every franchise?
02:44There would have been some excitement.
02:49People are passing by, the host is talking,
02:51the mic isn't working.
02:52People from the PSL franchise are saying that it's not theirs, it's someone else's.
02:58They're professional people.
03:00The mic isn't working, but Hassan Ali's name is announced.
03:05His mic is louder.
03:07Mr. Naqvi is saying that he wants to bring improvement in everything.
03:12If I were him, I wouldn't let the whole team
03:16that has been organised by the PSL,
03:19get close to the PSL.
03:22No one is asking.
03:24Instead of improving, they're taking the brand down.
03:27The franchise has saved the brand.
03:29They've made the brand into a cricket team.
03:32If it's in their hands, they can finish it.
03:34In Karachi, there's a team ball drafting.
03:39I've attended it twice.
03:40I was amazed at how well they've organised it.
03:43There are big screens.
03:45Our brand is considered the global brand of Pakistan.
03:50Instead of improving every year,
03:53they're taking the brand down.
03:54They're unprofessional people.
03:56They have no idea how the production is going.
03:59Honestly, I felt like I was watching a drama.
04:04That's all.
04:06Mr. Shahid, what can I say?
04:07Kamran is very disappointed.
04:09He has explained the draft in great detail.
04:18Kamran is right about the fish.
04:21I'm 100% sure that Mohsin Naqvi believes in top-quality things.
04:28He'll take note of it.
04:29A few people will be rewarded.
04:32That's right.
04:34One more thing.
04:36I won't take names in your speech.
04:39I won't take names.
04:41That's right.
04:42I've also...
04:44They've made a brand for the start of the auction.
04:50They have the money. We don't.
04:52We've invested billions. We have everything.
04:55But they don't have brains.
04:57They're not the right people for the job.
05:01They're in the same position as the team in cricket.
05:05They don't step out of their favourite zone.
05:08They don't think right.
05:10I agree completely.
05:12Kamran has made a very big point.
05:14He has noted it in great detail.
05:17The name IPL comes out of it.
05:21They've made such a big brand.
05:22They're not blaming anyone.
05:24We also say it by mistake.
05:26The brand is so big.
05:27We have to make it bigger.
05:29What do you say, Mr. Shahid?
05:32That's right.
05:33You can't match the budget or the revenue.
05:37You can't match their money.
05:39But you can produce excellent things
05:42while being limited in your resources.
05:44Don't look at others.
05:45Look at your home.
05:46Improve your home.
05:48Most of the drafts so far have been disappointing.
05:53That's true.
05:54Some have improved.
05:55But the Pakistan Cricket Board should learn from it.
06:00They should ask the people who arranged it.
06:03They should take notice of all the shortcomings.
06:07That's right.
06:08We're happy that we're not behind anyone in cricket.
06:12The standard of cricket in PSL is very high.