England cricketer Sam Billings has praised the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the premier T20 competition in the world, placing it above all other franchise tournaments, including the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Billings, who is currently playing for Lahore Qalandars in PSL 10, made the remark with a smile when a Pakistani journalist asked him to compare the two leagues following Qalandars’ match against Karachi Kings on Tuesday.
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“You want me to say something silly, don’t you?” Billings joked, before elaborating on his views with clarity and respect.
Who’s that IPL player?
“I think it’s hard to look past the IPL as the premier competition. I think that’s probably pretty obvious,” he said. “But every other competition is probably just behind. In England, we’re trying to do the same like the PSL to be the second-best competition in the world. The Big Bash are trying to do the same.”
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Billings highlighted how different leagues pose unique challenges. “Each competition presents different challenges. The conditions in Pakistan, India, Australia, or England are different. It forces you to adapt and makes you a better cricketer,” he noted.
On Pakistan cricket, Billings was generous in his praise. “There’s no doubt Pakistan has a huge amount of talent. The key is in structured thinking. Sometimes you try to do too much — keeping it simple can yield better results.”
Billings signed off reflecting on the joy of global franchise cricket: “I love it. I get to travel the world playing cricket and hopefully put smiles on people’s faces. I wouldn’t trade this job for anything.”
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