PSL final likely to be played in Pakistan
Aug 23, 2016 at 11:19 AM
With the exile of international cricket in Pakistan, there has been constant misery for the side. Playing away from home soil for so long has taken a great toll on the Pakistanis and that has been pretty obvious in their record in ICC events and other tournaments. Due to adopting UAE as their home, the Pakistanis have not just found lower fan support, but also conditions that haven’t utilized all their skills.
In a bid to resume international cricket in Pakistan, PCB chief executive Najam Sethi is trying to ensure that the final of the next edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is played in Pakistan itself. With teams unwilling to tour Pakistan, this move could be the beginning of something positive for Pakistan.
Sethi confirmed his move in a chat with ESPN Cricinfo. “All systems being put in place,” Sethi said. “We are in the process of signing up top foreign players who are ready to play in Lahore if their team gets into the final. All we need are ten top foreign players. If there are some foreign players among the finalists who are not prepared to play in Lahore, we will have an arrangement with others who don’t make it to the finals, and facilitate the finalist franchisees to select from that pool of players who are available to play in Lahore.”
When quizzed about how practical would be it for teams to play the final in Pakistan, Sethi gave a detailed response. “Look, it is only a question of one day in Lahore,” Sethi said. “We can organise fool-proof security. The teams can be flown in and out within 24 hours. We have four armoured buses for transportation and the Punjab police has already demonstrated its efficiency in this regard when Zimbabwe toured last year.”