DUBAI – The final of Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be held in Lahore at any cost as the owners of all five Pakistan Super League franchises and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management on Monday took the much-awaited decision on the last game of mega event 2017.
In a meeting held in Dubai between the Pakistan Super League (PSL) management and the owners of the team franchises, it was decided that the final for the tournament will be held in Lahore, PSL Chairman Najam Sethi announced.
Earlier, due to security concerns following the Feb 13 suicide attack in Lahore which left 14 dead and over 80 injured, there had been speculation that the PSL final may not be held in Pakistan after all.
Following the Monday’s meeting, in a tweet, Sethi said: “PSL management and franchises resolve to hold Final in Lahore. We invite PM, COAS and CMs to attend the match at Gadafi Stadium.”
PSL management and franchisees resolve to hold Final in Lahore. We invite PM, COAS and CMs to attend the match at Gadafi Stadium.
— Najam Sethi (@najamsethi) February 20, 2017
“The foreign players have refused to play the final in Lahore after Monday’s blast, but if the citizens of Pakistan want the PSL final to be held in Lahore […] then the final will be held in Lahore,” Sethi had said in his statement.
According to new plan, the PSL management will give franchisees the option to draft new players in case contracted international stars opt out of the March 5 final at Lahore due to security reasons.
“On Feb 22, we will do a new draft… we will put a formula in front of all the franchises and foreign players to let us know who will play the final in Lahore and who will not come,” Sethi had said earlier.
West Indies batsman Chris Gayle, Shane Watson of Australia, and England’s Twenty20 captain Eoin Morgan, are among 30 foreign players contracted to the five teams in the PSL Twenty20 tournament.
