Daily Times

LAHORE: Najam Sethi, Chair of the Pakistan Cricket Board Management Committee, expressed his gratitude towards all the stakeholders for turning Pakistan Super League 8 into a massive successive. The event had commenced in Multan with a glittering ceremony on February 13. Over 34 days, Multan staged five matches, Karachi and Lahore nine matches each and Rawalpindi 11 matches. On March 8, 10 and 11, the PCB, alongside the PSL 8 matches, also organised three Women’s League exhibition matches in Rawalpindi, which were also participated by 10 foreign players from seven countries. Addressing a news conference ahead of Lahore Qalandars-Multan Sultans final, Sethi said: “I want to thank all the stakeholders, including federal, provincial governments and law enforcement institutions for their unwavering support and making the PSL-8 a success. The way all the arms of the state worked together and provided their help and support to the PCB underscores how this tournament is now considered as a national asset. I also want to thank the foreign players for their participation in the tournament. The foreign players want to come and play in the league as it provides them quality cricket and has helped in their development. Many foreign cricketers who have played here have gone on to graduate to the top-level, because of which the PSL has emerged into as a global brand. All the women players who were here for the women exhibition matches in Rawalpindi have expressed their desire to come back and play in Pakistan, which is a great advert for our country.” He said PSL-8 also contributed in keeping country’s economic wheel moving as it created job opportunities and helped tourism, hotel industry, airlines and road traveling business grow. “We have paid PKR70crore in taxes to the federal government, PKR50crore in sales taxes and another PKR50crore in provincial taxes and also helped businesses grow. “Moving on, we will work on uplifting our stadia in Lahore, Karachi, Multan, Rawalpindi, Quetta and Peshawar as I feel we need to enhance the facilities to make them at par with the world. We are also in talks with the relevant authorities in Karachi and government in Lahore to make five-star hotels with the stadiums so the people don’t have to face disturbances when the matches are held.”