A global spotlight fell on the Pakistan Super League this week after a high-profile promotional roadshow at Lord’s, but much of the buzz came from an unexpected source: Wasim Akram taking a swipe at the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the middle of an event meant to celebrate the PSL.
The PCB rolled out two star-packed sessions at the iconic venue ahead of the 2026 edition of the tournament. The first segment featured PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi alongside former captains Wasim Akram and Ramiz Raja and PSL CEO Salman Naseer. The second brought current stars Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Sahibzada Farhan and Akram back on stage.
It was during these exchanges that Akram decided to lob a casual dig at the IPL’s duration, joking that the tournament “never ends” and even remarking in Hindi, “Bacchey bade ho jate hain, woh league khatam hi nahi hoti” — children grow up while that league still carries on. He contrasted the IPL’s two-plus-month schedule with the PSL’s compact, high-tempo format, which typically spans just over a month.
“The best thing about the league is that it is played for only about 34–35 days, maybe a little more next year,” Akram said, calling the PSL “short, fast, and exciting.” He added that foreign players prefer shorter commitments, quipping, Foreign players, when they come to Pakistan, prefer to be here for 35-40 days. More than that – two-and-a-half to three months – is a bit too long for everyone. Even I get bored,” Akram said.
Akram cited the Big Bash League’s decision to scale down its own duration as evidence that shorter tournaments work better. He went on to claim overseas players rate PSL bowling talent higher than other leagues, saying it offers “quality, not quantity.”
“Prime example is the BBL. They started off with two-and-a-half months. They realised after four or five years it wasn’t working. Now their duration is about 40 days. That’s it. That’s the beauty of the PSL. Of course, the talent. Everybody overseas, when I talk to them, they talk about bowling in the IPL and other leagues. They say the PSL, as far as talent is concerned, is definitely No. 1 because we have quality, not quantity.”
Yet, despite the playful jab, Akram acknowledged the IPL still sits atop the global franchise hierarchy, placing the PSL second.
Akram made the comments in the presence of PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, Babar Azam and others. Naqvi used the event to lay out an ambitious vision, insisting the aim is to make the PSL the world’s leading cricket league. Former PCB chief Ramiz Raja, meanwhile, emphasised the league’s role in elevating young Pakistani players by providing them with exposure to international stars.
The roadshow succeeded in showcasing the PSL on a prestigious global stage — though Akram’s offhand IPL critique ensured the spotlight drifted just slightly off script.