Multan Sultans’ Ali Tareen slams PSL for letting ‘same middle-aged dude’ helm its official anthem
It has been announced that Ali Zafar will be singing the tournament's anthem for the fifth time.
We bring good news for fans of cricket, music, Atif Aslam and Pakistan Super League (PSL). The anthem for the tournament’s 11th edition will be headlined by Pakistan’s most biggest pop star — Atif Aslam.
Joining him is a power-packed ensemble of female musicians comprised of Aima Baig, Daniya Kanwal and the Sabri Sisters.
While no further details have been PSL management or Pepsi — who’ve partnered with the league — the diversity of talent suggests the song will span multiple genres.
Aslam, of course, is the international pop sensation behind hits such as ‘Aadat’, ‘Dil Diyan Gallan’ and ‘Pehli Nazar Mein’. Baig gets her fame from her work with Coke Studio and the three PSL anthems she’s previously performed — including one with Aslam.
Kanwal is a rapper, which keeps with the theme of including Urdu rap in PSL anthems — Young Stunners were part of last year’s song.
What’s new is the inclusion of Saman and Anamta Sabri — known collectively as the Sabri Sisters. The duo specialises in Sufi music and helms Pakistan’s first all-female qawwali troupe. They shot to fame recently after singing the OST for Meri Zindagi Hai Tu with Asim Azhar.
PSL anthems haven’t all been received well in the past, leaving the league in a bit of a musical rut. Fans didn’t really like the 2023 song ‘Sab Sitaray Humaray’ — well, except Shae Gill’s part — and Azhar actually penned an apology for disappointing fans with 2020’s ‘Tayyar Hain’.
The PSL was also called out last year for not showcasing new talent and relying on the same old faces year after year — Ali Zafar sang five of the first 10 PSL anthems. Ali Tareen, the then owner of the Multan Sultans, said franchises had raised concerns on the issue.
The inclusion of Kanwal and the Sabri Sisters seems to suggest their concerns have been taken into account this year.