LAHORE: The three top teams of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) have issued a list of 15 ‘lowly’ foreign players willing to play the tournament’s final in Lahore on March 5. The players have also received their Pakistan visas after the three teams had selected them to be part of the final roster. England’s Ravi Bopara, playing with the Karachi Kings, also confirmed that he would travel to Lahore if the Kings win the third playoff. Quetta Gladiators coach Moin Khan expressed confidence in his team’s victory on March 5 and said the entire nation was happy with the decision. “It is unfortunate that certain cricketers are not in favour of the decision,” said Moin, adding the Sir Vivian Richards would also be visiting Lahore. On Thursday, Peshawar Zalmi owner Javed Afridi confirmed that the team’s foreign players were ready to play the final in Lahore. Earlier, three English players of the Quetta Gladiators – Kevin Pietersen, Tymal Mills and Luke Wright -announced that they would not be participating in the PSL final. The Federation of International Cricketers Associations (FICA) had earlier advised players against travelling to Lahore. The PSL is also in the midst of replacing foreign commentators – including Danny Morrison, Alan Wilkins and Mel Jones – who have backed out from covering the final, while Ian Bishop’s contract is coming to an end. The PSL management had instructed all teams to work on their own contingency plan in a scenario wherein their foreign players decide not to travel to Pakistan.
Entire city paralysed: The Punjab government has pulled out all the stops to proceed with the anticipated final of the colourful PSL. If soaring ticket sales and TV clips of passionate young cricket fans in queues are anything to go by, excitement for the final of what has been a nail-biting PSL is at an all-time high. But as the air grows thick with anticipation and many feel a sense of pride about ‘bringing cricket back to Pakistan’, there are mixed feelings in Lahore about the final.
Brushing aside fears stemming from recent terror attacks in Lahore and other parts of the country, PSL organisers and the authoritative provincial government representatives appear determined to shore up security to entice nervous foreign players to the Gaddafi Stadium on March 5 at all costs. Social media users have defended the government’s decision to green-light the PSL amid tight security by comparing the move to the UK government’s ‘lockdown’ in London for the Olympics in 2012.
An astounding 11,000 security personnel are being deployed in the vicinity of the stadium to form a layered security cordon, which will include the army, Punjab Constabulary, Dolphin Force, Police Response Unit and Elite Force. Businesses situated at the Gaddafi stadium, including restaurants, shops and banquet halls have been asked to remain closed until the match is over. According to the notification, gas supplies in the surrounding areas of Gaddafi stadium – including Gulberg, Garden Town and Shadman – will remain suspended from noon of March 5 till 7am on March 6. Mock exercises of the Counter Terrorism Department, police and Punjab Rangers in parts of the city means traffic is a mess in a city where the roads are already badly congested.