Standby pool of foreign players prepared for PSL final in Lahore

Board keeping set of back-up players to replace any who opt against travelling to Pakistan

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has prepared a standby pool of foreign players for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final in Lahore, in case the ones set to line up for the two finalists decide to back out.

Considering the well-known reluctance of foreign cricketers to play in Pakistan, more than a few eyebrows were raised when the PCB announced the final of the league’s second edition will be held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.



However, it seems the board is earnest in trying to bring at least some part of the league onto home soil. With four bulletproof buses already procured, the board is now keeping a set of back-up foreign players to replace any who opt against travelling to Pakistan.

The board also expects to have around 5,000 security personnel at its disposal for the match.



While a second draft may remove some of the shine of the final — the players in the back-up draft will understandably be of a lesser caliber and command less star-power than those in the original squad — it means that the decider may yet be held in Lahore.

The board is confident that such a situation will only arise if the country is hit by a terrorist attack that scares the players away, with an official revealing that most of the players have already agreed to come to Pakistan for the final subject to a security clearance.