LAHORE: Led by Sarfraz Ahmad, Quetta Gladiators will clash with Peshawar Zalmi, led by Darren Sammy, in the final of the Pakistan Super League, under unprecedented security, at the picturesque Gaddafi Stadium here on Sunday (today). Quetta defeated in Peshawar by one-run (on February 28 at Sharjah) while Peshawar downed Karachi Kings by 24 runs (on March 3 at Dubai) in the play-offs to qualify for the much anticipated Lahore final. The closing ceremony of the PSL is scheduled for 6:00 pm and the match for 8:00 pm. Holding the final in Pakistan has drawn criticism from many quarters, after a series of militant attacks in February left 130 people dead, including two bomb blasts in Lahore.
An estimated 18,000 tickets have already been sold for the PSL final – a full house is expected today – as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) attempts to bring high-profile cricket involving some overseas players back to Pakistan. Quetta’s Kevin Pietersen, Luke Wright, Tymal Mills and Rilee Rossouw have already pulled out of the final, but Peshawar’s four overseas players are likely to take part in the Lahore final. England trio Chris Jordan, Samit Patel and Dawid Malan as well as West Indies stars Darren Sammy and Marlon Samuels are all part of the Peshawar squad.
It is believed that the foreign players will be offered separate payments — some as high as $50,000 – for playing in Pakistan. The origin of this present phase of security concerns over playing international cricket in Pakistan dates back to the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March 2009. Pakistan have been forced to play their home matches at offshore venues – primarily in the UAE – ever since. Zimbabwe agreed to tour Pakistan for a limited-overs series in 2015, but even with extensive security measures in place for that visit there was a bomb attack during the second ODI. The blast occurred at the first checkpoint about 800 metres away from the stadium, killing two people, including a sub-inspector. Zimbabwe stayed on to finish the series, but the tour did not lead to a change in perception of the security conditions in Pakistan.
Over the last fortnight the security presence in Lahore has increased significantly, after a spate of bombings rocked Lahore and other parts of the country too in February. The Gaddafi Stadium has been off limits to the general public over the last three days. On March 5, however, it won’t be. To safeguard the PSL final, over 10,000 security personnel have been deployed, including Punjab police, and Pakistan’s paramilitary force – Rangers. The Gaddafi Stadium and surrounding areas are being protected by huge metal gates, and spectators will be able to enter the Gaddafi Stadium only after three layers of security checks, some of which take place at a two-kilometre protective perimeter around the venue. The first layer of checks – after the five areas marked for parking – can be passed only after verification of the person’s original national identity card.
The entire complex has also been set up with a new range of scanners, high definition facial-recognition CCTV systems, and police control centres. No public vehicle is allowed within a kilometre of the sports complex, and entry will be on foot from Liberty roundabout and Ferozpur Road, through extensive security layers. Surrounding roads connected to the complex will be closed for traffic and alternative routes have been given by the Lahore traffic police. A makeshift hospital facility has also been built within the hockey stadium adjacent to the cricket stadium in case of emergency.