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Monday Musings: PSL cancelled, Chiefs to lose, and the Fantastic Mr Fox
Alex Chapman • May 12th, 2025 12:57 pm
Sport Nation Mornings co-host Alex Chapman looks at the big plot lines from the weekend of sport: from New Zealand cricket stars returning home from the IPL and PSL, to Ryan Fox's remarkable first win on the PGA Tour.
The future of the IPL and PSL
Thankfully, for the sake of players, staff and commentators, nearly all New Zealanders involved in the Indian Premier League and Pakistan Super League are already, or on their way home.
The only exceptions in this matter is Mitchell Santner and BJ Jacobs, who were due to leave, only to have their IPL franchise, the Mumbai Indians, insist they stay once the ceasefire occurred - it’s understood they’d rather have returned to New Zealand.
The immediate future of the PSL is far clearer than that of the IPL.
The Pakistan Cricket Board initially wanted to move the tournament to the UAE, however that request was declined by the Emirates Cricket board.
"We owe it to the BCCI and Jay Bhai," an ECB official told Cricbuzz, acknowledging the Indian role in the matter.
In this case, Jay Bhai is Jay Shah, the chairman of the International Cricket Council and former secretary (the second-most important figure) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India or BCCI.
The lack of an alternative means the PSL will now be cancelled. Expect that formal announcement soon.
Four league and four playoff matches were still to be played in the PSL, while the IPL still has 16 games, including finals, to run. IPL bosses are hopeful of returning to action but only at certain venues, in the coming days.
For the sake of their own cricket future, Pakistan had to make such a call. They went years without hosting any cricket after a terror attack on the touring Sri Lankan team in 2009, with countries slowly returning to tour there over the last few years. They couldn’t risk going backwards.
Captain obvious time, none of this will help the consistently bubbling tensions between the two countries. India already wasn’t coming to the party when it came to not playing Pakistan outside of World Cups, now they’ve ordered the postman to not even bother delivering the invitation.
Who’s the Super Rugby title favourite now?
Well, after Saturday’s 35-19 win over the Crusaders, the market would say it’s the Chiefs ($2.30 for the those responsibly playing at home on betcha).
Last year’s runners-up were clinical in the second half in Christchurch, showing for the second time this season that the fear, or perhaps apprehension, when facing the red and blacks, is no longer there.
It was hardly a walk in the park in the Garden City, though they’ve shown they can wander a rocky path before frolicking in the flowers.
Twice this season, the Chiefs have gone into halftime down, and both times they’ve won – the other being the opening game against the Blues. It was also the first time the Crusaders have been up at oranges and not gone on to win.
A concern for the Crusaders? Maybe. But you’d think the Chiefs are now the title favourites.
Side note, go back and watch the Chiefs first try after halftime; it’s a set play they may continue to run to catch defending teams off-guard.
They go right-hand side after having a runner from the lineout, then go short right-hand off the ruck, forcing the Crusaders to have most of their defenders shift to their own left, only for McKenzie to make a sharp switch run left, and instantly create an extra man on the edge, which allows him to slice through.
Chef’s kiss.
How are we feeling, Wahs Nation?
On the note of falling away in the second half, how about those Warriors?
As captain Mitch Barnett rightly said after the game on Sky Sport, “I’d like an easier game. F*****g hell.”
Cue the outrage over an f bomb.
Should it have been more comfortable? Potentially. Is it the preferred way of winning? Of course not.
But in what has so far been an erratic season for results, at least they are - those swing games, which could go either way, are now falling in their favour.
It’s something they struggled to do in 2024, losing seven games by six points or less and winning three by the same margin. They already have four victories this season by a try or less.
Their game management in tight moments has improved, they’re clearly learning, and the Luke Metcalf winning drop goal came after they identified that both sides’ scoring opportunities were dwindling and the game was building towards a crescendo.
All of that builds confidence.
There’s no point in pretending it was perfect, or some incredible win. There’s clear aspects of their game they’ll be unhappy with, and fans certainly are. Players are running out of the defensive line resulting in missed or ineffective tackles, they’re handing out repeat sets like they’re answering the door on Halloween, and allowing easy offloads.
But a 92% completion rate, almost double the amount of kick metres as the Dragons, and the forcing of errors shows they’re heading in the right direction.
All the way into outright second.
F yeah Foxy!
It’s not often you see much emotion from Ryan Fox, but that early finger in the air as he chipped in and rolled for birdie on the playoff hole was a rare moment of euphoria.
The first New Zealander in almost a decade to win on the PGA Tour, earning Fox a two-year exemption on the Tour, and a self-confessed hungover drive to the PGA Championship.
Also, what’s with this blemish-free business? Bogey free on the first and last round; unheard of!
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Catch Alex Chapman on Sport Nation Mornings, every Thursday & Friday from 9am-12pm.
