The recently-released anthem for the eighth season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has received mixed reactions on social media as fans share their love for the previous anthems.
Curious to see which of the songs was the most loved by fans, Geo Super conducted a poll on its Facebook and Twitter accounts, and the numbers are in.
Summary
Of the 661 people who voted at the time of publication of this story, an overwhelming majority felt that the best songs were released during what they called the “Ali Zafar era” of the first three seasons of the PSL during 2016 and 2018.
The second place was also given to Ali Zafar for his song Ab khel jamay ga, which many felt was the “OG PSL anthem” that set the bar so high that nothing else compared.
Following this were the songs of the PSL 3, 4, 1, 7, 6, 5 and 8 respectively.
Complete breakdown
An undated photograph of Ali Zafar during a concert. — Instagram/Ali Zafar
The fans have spoken. There seems to be no space for a second opinion that despite the passage of time, fans are not likely to forget the “Ali Zafar era” any time soon. Of the 661 people who participated in the poll, 242 people claimed that all of Ali Zafar’s songs were their favourite. After that, many felt, the songs just didn’t meet the level set by Zafar’s anthems.
A screengrab of the official PSL season 2 anthem. — Youtube/@PakistanSuperLeagueOfficial
An astounding 236 people claimed that their favourite anthem was the one released in 2017. This song — also sung by Ali Zafar — was felt by many to be the one that best matched the spirit and fervour of the PSL. It has, in fact, become the unofficial tune of cricket in Pakistan.
A screengrab of the official PSL season 3 anthem. — Youtube/@PakistanSuperLeagueOfficial
Not surprisingly, the next anthem on the list was another Ali Zafar song, which was released as the official anthem for the PSL 3 in 2018. 47 people voted for Dil Se Jaan Laga De as their most loved anthem.
A screengrab of the official PSL season 4 anthem. — Youtube/@PakistanSuperLeagueOfficial
Following the anthems sung by Ali Zafar, another fan-favourite was the 2019 anthem voiced by none other than the Pakistani heartthrob Fawad Khan. The anthem Khel Deewano Ka won 40 votes, and certainly seemed to have captured the PSL spirit with its catchy music and Fawad’s energetic performance.
A screengrab of the official PSL season 1 anthem. — Youtube/@PakistanSuperLeagueOfficial
The fifth position in the poll was given to yet another song by much-loved Ali Zafar as 29 people voted for the first-ever PSL anthem to be their favourite. This brings the total count of votes in Zafar’s favour to an amazing 554 out of 661 votes.
A screengrab of the official PSL season 7 anthem. — Youtube/@PakistanSuperLeagueOfficial
With Ali Zafar’s songs established as the most loved of all, 26 people also voted in favour of the anthem sung by singing sensations Atif Aslam and Aima Baig.
The song, Agay Dekh was produced by Abdullah Siddiqui — who also produced the anthem for 2023. A statement issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last year said: Agay Dekh urges audiences to look beyond binaries of victory and defeat, and enjoy the game in its purest essence… the anthem pays tribute to everyone who waits excitedly for this time of year.”
— Twitter
The next anthem in line is Groove Mera, which featured Naseebo Lal, Aima Baig, and Young Stunners, and was the official anthem for the PSL 6. 17 of the voters pegged this anthem as their favourite.
Fans, although initially divided about the song, eventually came to love it and it has since gained many fans.
A screengrab of the official PSL season 5 anthem. — Youtube/@PakistanSuperLeagueOfficial
Next in line was the PSL 2020 anthem, which was performed by some of Pakistan’s greatest singing sensations. With 16 votes, this song almost ties in with Groove Mera.
Sung by Ali Azmat, Arif Lohar, Haroon Rashid and Asim Azhar, Tayyar Hain celebrates the homecoming of the T20 league, as it was the first season in which all matches were played in Pakistan.
— Twitter
Finishing up last, with 8 votes, was the latest anthem featuring Asim Azhar, Shae Gill and Faris Shafi. However, the low rating is understandable given the fact that it is still new and fans are yet to get into the rhythm of this anthem. It is well expected that as the season progresses and fans grow to attribute this song to the PSL, they will grow to love this too.
Following Pakistan’s triumph over South Africa in the tri-nation series, Shaheen Shah Afridi acknowledged the issue of death bowling.
In response to the injury concern, the left-arm pacer stated, “My finger is fine; I underwent an X-ray.” Some swelling persists, but I anticipate improvement shortly. These matches are essential for preparation for the Champions Trophy 2025.
Commenting on his interaction with a South African batsman, Shaheen stated, “For the first time, he remained silent.” I was the one instigating him to lose his wicket.
Prioritizing collective effort over personal achievements, Shaheen stated, “This is not about Babar or Shaheen—it is about Pakistan.” “The presence of negativity will hinder progress in any context.”
During Wednesday’s match, tensions escalated when Shaheen Shah Afridi confronted Matthew Breetzke, necessitating intervention from the on-field umpire and other players to separate them.
During a crucial tri-series encounter at Karachi’s National Stadium, South African batsman Matthew Breetzke and Pakistani pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi engaged in a contentious confrontation. Matthew Breetzke and Shaheen Shah Afridi were engaged in a confrontational exchange in a video that gained widespread attention on social media.
Matthew Breetzke, who scored a century in the previous match against New Zealand in Lahore, edged a delivery to the onside in the 28th over of the innings. Shaheen Afridi appeared displeased when the 26-year-old nearly collided with the left-arm fast bowler while dashing between the wickets to converse with Breetzke.
While alternate routes and designated parking spots have been set up to ensure seamless traffic flow, the traffic police say Sir Shah Suleman Road would remain open for regular traffic on match days.
Travellers from Karsaz can park their cars beneath the flyover at the China Ground and National Coaching Centre.
Parking for those travelling from Millennium will also be available at China Ground and the National Coaching Centre.
The same parking lots are open to New Town visitors.
To prevent any disruption, Karachi Police have stressed that cars should only be parked in approved spots. For a hassle-free commute on match days, commuters are encouraged to plan their routes appropriately and heed traffic police instructions.
Traffic Diversions: To alleviate congestion on match days, heavy traffic will be rerouted from Sohrab Goth to Nipa and Liaquatabad No. 10 to Hassan Square. There will also be a rerouting of heavy vehicles from People’s Chowrangi via University Road.
Heavy Traffic Restricted Roads: The following roads will not be open to heavy traffic:
Millennium to New Town Stadium Signal to Hassan Square Karsaz to Stadium
Pakistan was immediately barred from participating in international tournaments as a result of the ruling, and FIFA stopped providing financial support.
FIFA said in a statement that the PFF’s refusal to enact changes that would guarantee free and fair elections was the reason for the suspension. FIFA claimed that in order to fulfill the federation’s responsibilities under the current normalization process, the constitutional amendments were required.
According to FIFA’s statement, “the suspension will only be lifted if the PFF Congress approves the version of the PFF Constitution presented by FIFA and the AFC.”
In the past, FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has suggested changes to the PFF Constitution, namely with relation to the election procedure. But the most recent censure came after the PFF Congress rejected the suggested changes.
The PFF was not the first time FIFA had taken action against them. The governing body suspended the federation in April 2021 for violating FIFA laws and allowing excessive third-party meddling. After verifying that the Normalization Committee had reclaimed control of the PFF’s offices and finances, FIFA lifted the ban in June 2022.
Issues with governance remained in spite of earlier attempts. In order to guarantee fair elections and sound governance within the PFF, FIFA has recently stepped up its efforts to modify the constitution. Nevertheless, opposition from the PFF Congress resulted in thelatest disciplinary action.