The PSL 2020 is already in the books when it should still have been on TV. But instead of going cuckoo corona, let’s keep talking about the unfinished tournament as long as we can keep our heads where they are.
Coach of the tournament: Andy Flower. His ageing team lost just twice the whole tournament. They had luck on their side but still. Runner-up: Dean Jones for turning Karachi into a stud from a dud.
MVP (foreign): Ben Dunk, which is a no-brainer, even if Chris Lynn was the highest scorer. Dunk won matches from losing position and averaged a mind-boggling 53.2.
MVP (local): This was a two-way battle between Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah, and for us, Shadab edges it just a little bit, even if his team finished last. The legspinner emerged as a genuine all-rounder this year, and even in defeats, made a case for future Pakistan captain.
The match that put fans to sleep: The last match of the round-robin stage between Quetta Gladiators and Karachi Kings. That was the one that should have been scrapped.
The match that we’ll be telling our grand kids about: The one where Lahore Qalandars somehow went from being 50-2 in the 9th over to chasing a 188-run target against Karachi Kings.
The “oh he’s the new Babar Azam” award: Haider Ali. The boy has got game but how about letting him be who he is rather than brand him the new this and new that?
The “oh it’s over for him” award: Asif Ali because Ahmed Shehzad, for his looks and connections, will always remain in contention. Asif doesn’t have either. All he has are a grand total of 81 runs in the entire PSL 2020.
The fan of the tournament: The weeping super fan whose tears shamed Lahore into turning their season around.
The Mr Bubble Burst award: Haris Rauf. The BBL stud was a PSL dud. He picked up a mere three wickets in five matches and was generally pretty rubbish. And before you say it, we don’t offer grace for injuries.
The least cricketer-looking cricketer award: Dilbar Hussain. He’s pretty quick for someone with such a short run-up but is not wayward a la another LQ talent hunt product. P.S.: He is also bringing sexy bald back with considerable help from Ben Dunk.
The most underrated cricketer: Sohail Akhtar. 236 runs in 10 innings at a near-40 average. For someone who has never played at the highest level, he scores a lot of runs and goes unnoticed.
The surprise package of the season award: When Shan Masood was named the captain, fans and cricketers were convinced this was a disaster waiting to happen. The lefty was the sixth-highest scorer in PSL 2020 and his team lost just twice.
The biggest loser: Ahmed Shehzad because at least Umar Akmal did not play. Shehzad got seven chances during PSL 2020 and never scored more than 12 runs.
The biggest loser without even playing: Umar Akmal for obvious reasons
The second-biggest loser without even playing: Ahmed Godil
The “OMG what a knock” award: Ben Dunk for either one of his blitzkriegs.
The “what did he just do” bowling award: Samit Patel for his 5-4.
