With questions being raised whether the second edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) final would be held in Lahore following last Mondays blast which claimed 14 people killed and over 100 injured, had threatened the event.
According to Samaa News, Giles Clarke, head of an International Cricket Council team seeking to revive cricket in the country, said the March 5 final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in Lahore would be a key part of efforts to revive cricket in the country.
Clarke, who visited Pakistan last month to study security arrangements for international teams, said reviving international cricket in Pakistan will take time. Its a long road for the return of bilateral international cricket to Pakistan. On my recent visit, I noticed that not just the authorities but the man in the street is seeking the return of cricket to Pakistan, said Clarke, a former chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Terror has no place in our society, said Clarke. Terrorists should share whatever arguments they have or use ballott boxes. Clarke praised Pakistan cricket fans.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has vowed to maintain the final in Lahore, assuring VIP security arrangements reserved for state heads for foreign players willing to travel to the city.
That argument will be significantly harder to sell following news of this attack which will be another setback in Pakistans bid to see international tours and cricket of significant international interest returning to the country.
Following last weeks terrorist attack outside the Punjab Assembly, the fate of the final hung in balance although the top two officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shahryar Khan and Najam Sethi, insist they want to hold it in Lahore as planned.
Pakistan has been without such cricket since 2009 when the Sri Lanka team bus was attacked by terrorists in Lahore. Pakistan hosted a short limited over series with Zimbabwe in May-June 2015.
Since, 2009 Pakistan have been forced to play all home series in United Arab Emirates. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ireland and West Indies have refused offers to tour Pakistan in the last five years.
Let us as a nation pray that foreign players show solidarity with Pakistan and play the final in Lahore. Hopefully Sethi, PCB Chairman Shahryar Khan and the Pakistani players will help convince the foreign ones to come to Pakistan for the PSL2 final.
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