Sharjah: Pakistan Super League (PSL) organisers will start asking foreign players if they are willing to play in a final in Lahore on March 5.
The organisers are even willing to conduct a fresh players’ draft if required to access how many foreigners will be willing to travel to Lahore.
Following the recent bomb blast in Lahore, many foreign players who had initially agreed to play in the Pakistan capital are now not keen to go there. The players’ draft will be held next week.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is keen to host the PSL 2017 final in Lahore, but the suicide attack that killed 13 people and left over 70 injured has disrupted their plans.
Speaking in a television programme, Najam Sethi, the PSL chairman, even stated: “We will have a new draft on February 22 in which we will put before the new formula to know who are the players who want to go and who do not. [Then we will] know who are the foreign players willing to go — and then we will have a new draft for the final. All those who do not want to go will be replaced by some other foreign player, who we are in contact with. We are looking for further arrangements so we want to host the final in Lahore with or without foreign players.”
It is understood that the initial response from the Punjab government to provide security for the Lahore final has been positive. Army chiefs have also been contacted for their help.
Meanwhile, Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif, who were suspended for their alleged attempt to corrupt the PSL through spot fixing, appeared before the Pakistan anti-corruption sleuths and legal department officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board in Lahore.
According to information, Sharjeel and Khalid were brought in a van to the National Cricket Academy in Lahore for a hearing and due to the rush of local media, the gates of the academy collapsed when guards tried to shut them.
Meanwhile, Sethi revealed that the PCB investigation into alleged corruption had begun before the PSL’s second season began. He even stated that within a short while it will be revealed whom all the players were in touch with — and even provide details of their WhatsApp messages.
