Multan Sultans' plans are bigger than just winning PSL

While the different franchise based T20 league provides a source of entertainment for which a certain section of cricket enthusiasts oppose them, there is no hiding the fact that tournaments like this provide golden opportunities to the youngsters to showcase their talent. The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has also unearthed many hidden Pakistani gems, and newly included franchise Multan hopes to continue the hunt for raw talent.

Multan Sultans became the sixth team of the tournament when Schon Group bought the franchise by paying a hefty fee of $ 5.2 million per year. They are the most expensive team in the tournament, beating the previous leaders Karachi Kings. However, the team is not only focused on winning the competition but is aiming for bigger plans. They want to unearth talents from the domestic circuit and nurture them.

“Multan is an emerging brand that resonates with both the local and international markets. Our plan is bigger than just success in PSL. We are determined to extend our reach to the people of Pakistan, focus on domestic cricket on the later stages and bring to fruition plans to identify new talent,” said the president of Schon Group, Asher Schon while speaking to The Express Tribune.

“In the long run, we are ideally looking at setting up a cricket academy under the supervision of (Wasim) Akram. But in the short run, we are focused on developing and grooming players and preparing them to be successful cricketers both for Multan and Pakistan,” he further added.

The strategy

Elaborating on the modus operandi of his franchise, he stated “When we talk about player development, there are a lot of areas that need to be considered. Our strategy is to get the right mentor and coach and empower them to develop our players. That is why our main emphasis is on getting the best international and local cricketers to join us as players, trainers, and mentors. Our starting point for the trials would be Multan initially and across the country later. We have a plan in motion so it would be a little too early to comment on that, but yes, it is on the map.”