Changeable loyalties in cricket? A longitudinal qualitative study of Pakistan Super League fans
Abstract
Cricket has always been known for its international level competitions; however, recently, league-format has been introduced into it. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the motives of fans’ loyalty (and disloyalty) in the context of Pakistan Super League (PSL). For this purpose, a longitudinal qualitative study was established among the PSL fans. The first study was conducted before the beginning of the PSL and the second study was conducted at the end of PSL. The responses of the participants indicated that the PSL fans have short-term and changeable loyalties. The study identified various reasons that motivate fans to detach from one team/athlete and attach to another team/athlete. In the context of teams, four motives emerged: performance, location, the team itself and the athlete; whereas, in the context of athletes, three different motives emerged: performance, off-field attributes and other on-field attributes. The results of the study are also discussed in the context of the previous literature.
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