‘Cricketers from leading nations showing interest in PSL’
-Photo by AFP
ISLAMABAD: Cricketers from leading Test nations like South Africa, Australia and England have shown interest in playing in the inaugural Pakistan Super League (PSL) scheduled to be held in March, managing director of the league Salman Sarwar Butt said on Thursday.
National teams have avoided visiting Pakistan since the deadly terror attack on the Sri Lanka team convoy in Lahore in 2009, but individuals made up an international all-star team which met Pakistan in two successfully organised Twenty20 games in Karachi in October.
“We are thrilled by the number of players and agents from several International Cricket Council (ICC) member countries showing interest to play in the PSL,” Salman said.
“Players from South Africa, Australia, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, England and Ireland have expressed their interest in the event,” he added.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is scheduled to launch the Twenty20 league in late March with at least 30 foreign players divided in five city-based teams yet to be named. Haroon Lorgat, the former chief executive of the ICC, is an adviser to the PSL.
The PCB sees the league as a steppingstone to reviving the confidence of foreign players that, for at least sports, it’s safe to play in Pakistan.
“The best way for us to allay fears of the players is to provide top-level security for the event,” Salman stressed.
“The PSL will have a comprehensive security plan … which would meet the ICC standards. We are also planning to engage independent security experts to further augment our preparations and delivery.”
Karachi and Lahore are the top contenders to host the PSL. Lahore also hosted a sports festival in which athletes from 26 countries competed.
“We are confident that sports events and the PSL in particular, can be safely held in Pakistan,” Salman remarked.
He further said the PSL would also target big-name coaches for the league.
“I am not at liberty to divulge names but there are coaches and other support personnel from around the globe who have shown keen interest to participate in the PSL,” he said.
“We are keen to have them working alongside our local coaching staff so that we can learn and benchmark our own coaching skills and team management.”—AP
ipl sucks
Indian players play in IPL yet their performance is S%$#…Indians always start to cry when ever Pakistanis do something, our talent is world class, that why our singers and drama artists are invited by India to perform there but thanks to your government’s lack of interest in solving the security concerns; hockey players, singer and drama artists are asked to go back to Pakistan…world’s largest democracy and secularism…go figure
Go figure how much is your country foreign reserve, more than that IPL earns every year
If your artists and players are so good why they don’t go to any other country to preform? If you have guts name ten countries other than India where they are invited or have a following. All the best.
It’s seem to be a fight among Indian and Pakistani readers but we want constructive discussion……….
i think, security section of ICC should analyze the security plan provided by PSL team, if feasible than on the behalf PCB assure foreign players to come to Pakistan. after all PCB is the member of ICC, that’s why ICC should take this issue under consideration.
Mubarak ho! Viva! Bravo! Ole! Albeit this is good news the PCB must prove importantly, that they did not ‘cower and cringe’ to get these players back into the arena.
Security is important. Additionally, do not reveal the names of the players until the last moment, otherwise you and we all know who will start jumping on the bandwagon to malign Pakistan and start making plans to terrorize the players and fans.
MOST IMPORTANT. When you make a commitment, STICK TO IT REGARDLESS OF THE COST. Not like Ijaz Butt, paindoo, who reneged on his COMMITMENT. Salams for 2013