DUBAI: Pakistan cricket chief Shaharyar Khan opened the second edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on Thursday, describing the glitzy Twenty20 event as key to paving the way for his country’s return to hosting international series.

Pakistan has been a no-go zone for all of their major rivals since a terror attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in March 2009.

The Pakistan city is due to host the PSL final on March 5 after all the qualifying games are completed in the UAE, the team’s home-from-home for international cricket for the last eight years.

“We are staging the second edition of the PSL with the aim of staging the final in Lahore on March 5,” PCB chairman Shaharyar said as he welcomed fans to the Dubai Stadium.

“The success of the PSL will open the gates for teams to start coming into Pakistan.”

Zimbabwe played a limited-overs series in 2015 but the likes of Australia, England, India and the West Indies have all stayed away from Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2017

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.