By Rafiq Vayani
KARACHI: The third edition of Memon Super League (MSL) starting in Karachi in last week of August is all set to become the first local T-20 cricketing league tournament in Pakistan to use the option of third umpire.
The third edition of MSL, which will be played from late August till October, 2018 at the three sporting venues of Karachi, was formally launched here at a ceremony during which the official flag, anthem and trophy of the league was also unveiled.
The auction of players for the league also took place on the occasion through a fully computerized and transparent mechanism. The auction draft included more than 300 players including Memons and non-Memons and out of this 140 players were selected to play the league through proper bidding system.
Leading names of the Memon community Irfan Pardesi, Farhan Pardesi, leaders of businessmen and industrialists fraternities, prominent names from different walks of life attended the launching ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, prominent businessman Irfan Pardersi said that MSL had emerged as the superb idea to promote sports among youth of the community as all such healthy initiatives in the country should be wholeheartedly supported by the business community.
Mr. Irfan said that in the coming years, he would also become one of the main sponsors of the MSL.
Former test cricketer Iqbal Qasim said that by all means the MSL would go a long way in promoting cricket in cities like Karachi among its numerous communities.
Renowned businessman Farhan Pardesi, said that the MSL was a manifestation of the passion of young Memon businessmen who desire to promote cricket at ground root level by providing financial resources, infrastructure facilities and grooming new talent. “The advent of the 3rd season is proof positive that MSL is here to stay. At the same time, it is imperative that Pakistan regains its lost glory as Hockey World Champions. I am sanguine that the young Memon businessmen would one day organize a similar league to promote hockey,” said Mr. Farhan.
Besides using the option of third umpire, all the latest computer software and applications at par with the international standards will be utilized in the third edition of MSL to make the league participants, players, and spectators fully informed about every aspect of the game and to give them ball-by-ball live updates of every match.
Through such use of latest technology, watching a MSL third edition match will become an enthralling and lively experience both for the spectators sitting in the stadium or for those following the league through live streaming on the internet.
Audience of the launching ceremony was informed that the basic idea behind the MSL was to motivate children, budding talent, and youth of the Memon community in particular and that of Karachi in general to adopt healthy sporting activities as part of their routine life.
It was informed on the occasion that after famous test cricketer Iqbal Qasim, no other cricketer belonging to Memon community was ever selected for the Pakistani national team. While emerging cricketers Umair Yusuf and Danish Aziz belonging to the Memon fraternity have become the new sensation in the community as youngsters of the Memon families do try to follow their footsteps besides getting formal education and learning business skills.
Famous exporter of food commodities Abdul Rahim Janoo said that the International Memon Organization fully backed the idea of launching the MSL in Pakistan as similar sporting leagues should also be held in other countries where a large number of Memon community members had been living along with their extended families.
MSL Director Tayyab Balagamwala, newly elected member of Sindh Assembly Bilal Ghaffar, actor Behroz Sabzwari and others also spoke at the ceremony.
Similarly during every match, each of the playing side will comprises of 12 players as nine of them would belong to the Memon community. Matches will be played at the Rashid Latif Cricket Academy, Moin Khan Cricket Academy grounds, and at TMC Cricket Ground in Karachi all during the night time.
Man of the match of every game of the MSL will be awarded a return air ticket of Dubai besides Rs 5,000 cash prize.
