2016 PSL production
Uniform Look, Missing Identity — Who Is Who on Screen?
Now this is where things started getting confusing.
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| 2017 PSL production |
Production-wise, it clearly wasn’t a direct lift from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 broadcast—but the inspiration was too obvious to ignore.
And inspiration, by itself, is not the problem.
Lack of differentiation is.
2018 PSL production
The Core Issue — Where Is Team Identity?
During the Kingsmen phase, what really threw me off was the south-end scroll bar.
It stayed in a single-color scheme.
At first, I assumed it was aligned with Lahore Qalandars branding.
But as the game progressed—and after a bit of observation—it became clear:
This wasn’t team-specific. It was template-specific.
And that’s where the flaw sits.
Because in a fast-paced T20 broadcast, viewers shouldn’t have to think about:
- Which team is batting
- Which team is bowling
It should be instantly recognizable.
Through:
- Color coding
- Typography contrast
- Visual hierarchy
Right now, that clarity is missing.
2019 PSL production
Flags on Headers — A Misplaced Differentiator
Using country flags as identifiers might look creative on paper.
But in a franchise league like Pakistan Super League, it creates more confusion than clarity.
Because PSL isn’t international cricket.
It’s supposed to build franchise identity.
So instead of strengthening team recall, this approach dilutes it.
2020 PSL production
Learning from Consistency — The IPL Example
If you look at Indian Premier League, one thing stands out:
Consistency.
For the past few seasons (at least three, if memory serves right), their:
- Font family
- Color systems
- Scorecard layouts
have remained uniform and stable.
And that’s not laziness—that’s strategy.
Because consistency builds:
- Viewer familiarity
- Brand recall
- Visual authority
The Real Problem — Not Design, But Mindset
Here’s the uncomfortable layer.
We don’t struggle with creativity.
We struggle with alignment.
Because when a system doesn’t believe in:
Collaboration
Standardization
Long-term visual identity
It ends up producing exactly what we’re seeing:
Good-looking… but disconnected outputs.
My Only Question
If the entire presentation is built around:
Lime green
Navy blue
Generic overlays
Then how exactly are teams being uniquely represented?
Because without clear differentiation, you’re not just confusing the viewer—
You’re weakening the league’s identity.
Final Thought
Taking inspiration from ICC-level production is a good sign.
But the next step is critical:
Ownership.
Define a consistent font family
Lock team-specific color identities
Build a system that lasts beyond one season
Because until then, PSL will continue to look polished…
But not recognizable.
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