Sports

Sethi says foreign cricketers not ready to play in Lahore

Sethi has left it to the fans to decide if they want the final in Lahore or not

Nabil Tahir February 14, 2017

Sethi has left it to the fans to decide if they want the final in Lahore or not. PHOTO: SHAFIQ MALIK/EXPRESS

KARACHI: Pakistan Super League (PSL) Chairman Najam Sethi has said the super league final will be held in Lahore if cricket fans and citizens of Pakistan are ready to watch the game without foreign players.

“The foreign players have refused to play the final in Lahore after Monday’s blast but if the citizens of Pakistan want the final of the PSL to be held in Lahore despite foreign players not participating in the final then the final will be held in Lahore,” Sethi said in his statement.

He said that security agencies have promised to provide full security for the match and left it to the fans to decide if they want the final in Lahore or not.

Lahore blast: what does it mean for the PSL final?

Meanwhile, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said Punjab was ready to host the PSL final with full security and that Lahore was safe for the players even after Monday’s incident. Before opening of the league, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had held a meeting with the foreign players to ensure them about security but even then they were hesitant to travel to Lahore.

“The player had concerns about playing the final in Lahore even after the security team along with former and current players assured them about their safety.

Terror rears ugly head in Lahore – again

“The foreign players said they will only travel to Lahore if the Federation of International Cricket’s Association (Fica) ensures that Lahore is safe,” said a source, who was present in the meeting.

The final is scheduled to be held on March 5 in Lahore.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2017.

COMMENTS (27)

Khurram | 7 years ago | Reply There are actually other cities in Pakistan besides Lahore

Imtiaz | 7 years ago | Reply PLS final should be held in Pakistan and even next PSL should be all in Pakistan. It is for Pakistan and should be in Pakistan with or without foregion players. Otherwise it is only moneymaking for some people.

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Atif | 7 years ago | Reply PSL cannot succeed unless it is held in Pakistan.

Fiz | 7 years ago | Reply Let's go ahead and may Allah be with us, Ameen.

Faesl zeea | 7 years ago | Reply final should be held in lahore.. if foreign players are not willing to play in lahore, let them go as they wish,, people are saying without foreign players psl's final is as like a domestic match.... listen to me guys!! are you watching psl?? is there any outstanding crowd attendence?? are you enjoying psl sitting back at home watching an empty stadium??

Narveen | 7 years ago | Reply It is really important to have no a brand new stadium in Islamabad, Shakerparian with five star hotel facility and also having a good seating capacity, because the foreign players are terrified playing in Lahore as one incident occured there. So it is need of hour for PCB and Govt to construct Islamabad cricket stadium as soon as possible for future needs, and to ensure safty for foreign players in pakistan.

Khan | 7 years ago | Reply If we play PSL final in Lahore without foreign players then what's the point of playing it? Without foreign players it will be just another domestic tournament. Let's play in UAE and hope for better in the future.

ZAHEER | 7 years ago | Reply The brutal attack in Lahore shocked the entire country, it was not an attack it also sabotage all the efforts made by PCB to bring back the international cricket in Pakistan but unfortunately all in vain as no foreign player or a team will now ready to take risk to visit here. We are cricket loving nation but we don't want to risk the lives of players.Secondly why the PCB insisted for the final in Lahore and not in Rawalpindi or Karachi where the law and order situation is better after the Karachi operation by police and law enforcement agencies under the National Action Plan. All and all in present circumstances the final should be played in the UAE for the safety of national and foreign players. Bad luck for Pakistani fans but safety is first.

Pakistani | 7 years ago | Reply Thats what India wanted.

Skn | 7 years ago | Reply Karachi is another option. Why does pcb want it in Lahore specifically??

JRR | 7 years ago | Reply Lets respect the decision of foreign players and it they don't feel comfortable its fine. However the final should happen in Lahore as scheduled with or without foreign players. .... Gradual progress is still progress.

Lolz | 7 years ago | Reply Why Lahore? Why not Rawalpindi or Karachi? Why not any other city of Pakistan?

Acorn Guts | 7 years ago | Reply So, India won the PSL final ..

Fact is Fact | 7 years ago | Reply forget abt cricket in Pakistan. People need to save their lives first. Just pathetic governance.

Haris | 7 years ago | Reply Hold it in Lahore, with or without foreign players; otherwise the terrorists (whoever they are) have already won.

Khan | 7 years ago | Reply @Muneer I agree with every word of yours. It was already my opinion that why they are forcing the foreign players to very crime scene where Sri Lankan team was attacked? I am not against any ethnicity but PSL final can be played in Karachi or Peshawar or Faisalabad or Sialkot why force players to play in Lahore?

Saeed Masood | 7 years ago | Reply The foreign players are right if they don't play in Pakistan at this time, but who did it will or authorities have the guts to officially point at the beneficiaries of this blast and stopping of PSL final in Pakistan.. Please tell us their names and stop investing in their countries....

Muneer | 7 years ago | Reply How Najam Sethi will ascertain opinion of the cricket fans,will he hold a referendum on the issue?. If foreign players are unwilling,how the teams playing final in Lahore will weld with the local players in a giffy and how the local players would compensate for the expertise of foreign players?.It seems he has no cricketing sense.Instead of making a mess of PSL,let final be held in Dubai,people in Pakistan and Lahore could still enjoy by watching it on the electronic media

bashir gul | 7 years ago | Reply Rana sahib does not want military courts and says that Lahore is safe. The PSL final should go on and played in Lahore with or without foreign players.

Shahid | 7 years ago | Reply Why not in Karachi or Rawalpindi? Why are we adamant on holding the match in Lahore?

BrainBro | 7 years ago | Reply It takes only a day to set the reality straight. The GHQ has to end its animosity with India and Afghanistan, or else this loop of hate will never be broken.

PrakashG | 7 years ago | Reply Have two finals; and, decide the winner by adding the scores, like a test match with two innings. Crazy idea, but one that will ensure foreign players' participation (only in one inning), and the fans at Lahore will get to watch it in stadium (again, only half the match).

Lumdheeng | 7 years ago | Reply Pakistan must host the PSL finals to defy terror. If Pakistan doesn't, that means terror has won.

Mrs Syed | 7 years ago | Reply It is about Pakistan Cricket and the final should happen in Pakistan. Whether the foreign players play or not, but PSL is for Pakistan and its people.

Sharath Chandra | 7 years ago | Reply Maybe PCB should also buy white horses and swords.

Khan A | 7 years ago | Reply Why bother watching PSL at all?

NoNy | 7 years ago | Reply what rana sanaullaah says has as much weight as a piece of paper "Lahore was safe for the players even after Monday’s incident" what exactly this smart individual is trying to say ?

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