The real economics behind Pakistan's cricket league

The path from fan to statistician

Muzamil opens by asking how Mazher ended up in cricket statistics. The answer is less about a master plan and more about circumstance. “When I was young, I was shocked by the fact that I had to write a scorecard,” Mazher explains. What began as a childhood hobby writing about cricket evolved into a career. He started as a fan writing on social media, moved to mainstream outlets like Cricket Info, and eventually got an opportunity in 2013 when a TV channel called him to work as a statistician during a Pakistan-South Africa test match.

“I wanted to be a cricket writer, to be very honest, but I knew that I could not go to that level,” Mazher says. His friends saw his strength in numbers and data instead, steering him toward analytics rather than narrative writing. That misdirection turned out to be exactly right.

What a cricket statistician actually does

Muzamil and Mazher dig into the real work. It is not just pulling numbers. A statistician creates stories in broadcast. When a commentator mentions a player’s batting record, the statistician backs it with numbers, history, averages. When graphics come to television, the statistician translates the narrative into data that supports it.

The work happens in real time. “You have to anticipate some things,” Mazher says. If a batter has hit three consecutive centuries in a particular matchup, the statistician prepares that list before the broadcast begins. If a player struggles against left-arm spinners, the data is ready to display the moment the opposing team brings one on. “Once they got out, so the broadcasts are interesting. That data you are getting in front of you is basically you are getting in front of you,” Mazher explains, capturing the intensity of live broadcast preparation.

The tools are a mix of databases and knowledge. Three to four databases feed the statistics. Excel and database software are the everyday tools. But the real edge is knowing what might happen and preparing before it does.

How PSL broadcasts changed in five years

The PSL’s production structure has shifted. The first three editions used Sunset and Vine and ICC TV as production partners. Then IMG Reliance and Towersports took over. This year, a consortium of BLIDZ and NEP handles it. NEP is a Singapore-based production company that supplies equipment and technical expertise.

Not all equipment is Pakistan-based. NEP provides the infrastructure. As Mazher notes, “NEP is a very big production company.” They supply the coverage for YCC TV and for the rest of the world. The production is collaborative: Transgroup, Blitz, and NEP work together on PSL.

The money in PSL: franchise fees and TV rights

The economics are concrete. In 2019, PSL’s TV rights were worth 36 million dollars for three years. That year, only eight matches happened in Pakistan. By 2020, all PSL matches moved to Pakistan, and the next cycle of rights will likely be worth more because the entire league now plays at home.

Franchise fees bring in 15 million dollars. Add title sponsorship at 4 to 5 million dollars annually, and the total picture emerges: roughly 500 crores (about 60 million dollars) across the league when you include ticket sales and sponsorships.

“If we look at PSL, it’s about 500 crores,” Mazher says. The PCB gets its share from franchise fees and TV rights. Individual franchises rely on sponsorships, ticket sales, and their own merchandise strategy. Not all franchises are profitable. Some like Multan invested at 6 million dollars per year; others like Quetta at 1.1 million. If you return only 2 million on a 6-million investment, you lose. “Two or three franchises were on break-even and the rest of them are going on,” Mazher estimates.

Why franchise glamour has faded

Early PSL editions had visible spectacle. Teams invested in marketing, events, and brand presence. United’s recycled song became a meme. The glitz has dimmed. Mazher sees the gap: “If you travel to Karachi, Lahore, there is no representation of Islamabad United as a team.” Peshawar is the exception; they built association successfully. The others have not.

“There are no home matches here in which it should be,” Mazher explains the core issue. Ideally, each franchise plays at home. Islamabad should play in Rawalpindi or Peshawar in Peshawar. Without that, the local fan base cannot develop the way it should.

Cricket and the broader demand for data

As cricket evolves, data has become central. Pakistan recently saw kids build sensors into cricket balls. Muzamil notes this is part of a global trend. Pakistan’s new cricket leadership acknowledges that “we also need data and science to cricket,” Mazher says.

The broader world has moved ahead. “Your data and algorithms have reached this point,” he observes about global cricket. Training sensors track how far players run, how they move. Pakistan is moving step by step into this space. Eventually, the infrastructure will catch up.

The future of cricket in Pakistan

Muzamil asks whether being a cricketer is still a legitimate dream. Mazher’s answer is clear but nuanced. Opportunities are actually more abundant now than in the 1990s. Then, you had one option: play for Pakistan. Now there are franchise leagues, tryout programs, international opportunities. “So every year you have a player that you can win a long time match and serve,” Mazher notes about the PSL’s emerging player system bringing new talent to the world stage.

But test cricket is in trouble. “Test cricket has become a luxury,” Mazher argues, “which are rich boards, England, Australia, the big three can afford them.” Pakistan can afford test cricket only by subsidizing it with T20 revenue. This is true everywhere. The model is unsustainable unless the sport itself changes.

“Cricket as a sport, I don’t think it is going anywhere,” Mazher concludes. “There are a lot of money involved in India which is a very big market.” The passion in Pakistan remains high. PSL videos get millions of views. Shweeb Akhtar’s cricket commentary draws huge audiences. The sport has a future because the audience is there. The question is whether Pakistan can build the infrastructure to sustain it.