‘The way the country's situation is’ - Shaheen Afridi hopes PSL provides much-needed distraction amid national crisis

The PSL (Pakistan Super League) has established itself as one of the biggest franchised league tournaments in world cricket. The tournament has become a very important part of the cricket culture in Pakistan, and ace pacer Shaheen Afridi thinks so as well. 

With former Prime Minister Imran Khan released on bail after being arrested, the country's political environment has been filled with tension with the recent elections, and the PSL has become a source of happiness for the fans, according to Shaheen Afridi. 

It is worth noting that many citizens in Pakistan have been struggling for even their basic needs, and with cricket and the PSL, they are able to distract their minds for a while.

"The way the country's situation is. The PSL and cricket is something that makes people happy. Elections just got over, so I'm hopeful the crowds turn up and support cricket," Afridi told ESPNcricinfo.

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Furthermore, Afridi claimed that he has learned a lot ever since taking over the captaincy role, opining that he has learned a lot about man management and taking care more of others over his performance. 

"When I wasn't captain, I didn't know a lot of things. Some of them are so basic I don't even want to tell you about them. When you're a bowler you only focus on yourself and your bowling," Afridi said.

A huge deal for us: Afridi

Furthermore, Afridi talked of the importance of local players playing for their franchises in the PSL. Leading Lahore Qalandars to back-to-back titles, Afridi’s rise as the side’s skipper has been meteoric. 

"When, in any country or franchise, local players play in a team, that side does very well, I think that's the biggest secret. When Lahore Qalandars started the PDP [Player Development Programme], we found players from all over the country. Sameen bhai, Atif bhai [the owners] and Aqib [Javed, head coach] worked very hard and they gave LQ and Pakistan very good players. There are more coming through this year. The local players who were given opportunities performed and won matches for Pakistan, and that was a huge deal for us,” Afridi said.