Pakistan is still enjoying the after taste of HBL Pakistan Super League 2019 as this season saw many firsts such as eight games were played in Pakistan and all six teams got to play in Karachi in-front of packed stands with Pakistani cricket fans. Media has been playing a major role in shaping up the fan base for the league in Pakistan with special shows, coverage, analysis, and reports.
Relatively new channel in the sapphire of Pakistani media, Public News roped presented a PSL special show with TV host & Anchor and face of Public News, Rasmsha Kanwal. Ramsha has previously hosted cricket show for 24 News and has been hosting various shows since.
This season with PSL show, Ramsha once again exhibited her mettle for cricket show. We at MediaSpringPK got a chance to speak to her post PSL to know more about her experience.
When we asked about her initial reaction upon getting the offer of hosting PSL special show, Ramsha Kanwal said:
“I was very excited hearing about hosting a show on PSL 2019, any project related to PSL or Pakistan cricket gives me pleasure and a fresh change. Previously I did ‘Kis Main Hay Dum’ I not only enjoyed doing that but also the response was superb. And I was hoping same from this show for Public News.”
“To me, Khel Deewano Ka is excitement, passion, and energy.” Commenting on the passion the game of cricket enjoys in Pakistan the TV host said, “It really is Khel Deewano Ka, especially in Pakistan where the game of cricket unites the nation and drives us with a passion.” She further added, “Although our national game is hockey but at the public level the passion and following for cricket is matchless. I enjoyed doing the show with the same passion and craze we have for the game tried to live up to the spirit of the term, ‘Khel Deewano Ka’.”
Speaking about her previous cricket show, that she did during World T20 2016, Ramsha Kanwal said, “I did a show back in 2016 with Abdul Razzaq, Imran Nazir, and Ijaz Ahmed as experts in the show. That was a great experience for me since it was my first sports show – I learned from that experience as well as enjoyed every bit of that show.” Learning about cricket from the experts in the show was a unique experience for Ramsha as she commented, “They (Razzaq, Imran, and Ijaz) made me feel very comfortable and they made me learn things very easily, even the core technical aspects of cricket.”
This year on Public News Ramsha hosted the show with former Test cricketer and cricket expert Muhammad Wasim as cricket expert on the show, about her hosting experience with Wasim Ramsha, said, “It was a different experience as Wasim is not only a cricket expert with his playing experience and his experience with commentary box & TV hosting makes him a great expert to work with. The best thing about him is that he knows his work and knows how to express his expert opinion, I also need to admire his accuracy when it comes to predictions. He was so good with his predictions throughout the season that I started calling him Pir Baba”
The studio of the show was virtual this time to make it look interactive, about this development from a sitting show to a stand up interactive show Ramsha said, “The bonding with Wasim has been good and experience of working in a digital, interactive, and virtual show studio has been amazing and it helped us do our analysis, head to head competitions and discussion far more interesting. This made it different from my previous show Kis Main Hay Dum and at the expense of repeating myself this has been one enjoyable experience and to top it off the response has been great for that I cannot thank my viewers enough.”
When asked about the team she was rooting for in the HBL PSL 2019, Ramsha Kanwal said, “Being a Karachiite my support was for Karachi Kings but when KK got knocked out of the competition my support shifted to eventual winner – Quetta Gladiators.” Commenting on Quetta Gladiators the TV host added, “Honestly speaking, I really wanted Gladiators to win they have been such a fine unit but have been unlucky with looing two finals. This year too QG played really well to book a seat in the final and they totally deserve winning the title.”
According to the face of Public News, Ramsha Kanwal PSL is a fanfare, “As soon as one season of PSL ends I just cannot wait for the next one. I am so happy that in just four years this league has established itself as a fanfare even for those who do not follow cricket that keenly.” Ramsha Kanwal is of the opinion that PSL is playing a great role for young talent to showcase their skills, she added, “Domestic cricket in Pakistan do have great talent but it lacks public interest, therefore, many gems remain unnoticed. When it comes to PSL, there is so much public interest and it is such a grand stage for young cricketers to perform their best game and get into the public eye.”
We have seen the growing number of women commentators, experts and analysts in cricket broadcast, which is a very healthy sign, commenting about this development the cricket show host said, “It is such a pleasing development and there still is more space of female cricket show hosts, commentators, analysts & experts, and TV anchors. It is pertinent to mention that it is not only about pretty face and glamour it is also about knowledge and it is heartwarming to see women with cricket knowledge commenting on the screen on a male-dominated sport.”
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