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

Increased inflows
Updated 12 Jan, 2025

Increased inflows

Govt must devise a strategy to increase industrial and agricultural productivity to boost exports and reduce reliance on uncertain remittances.
Gwadar’s potential
12 Jan, 2025

Gwadar’s potential

THE Gwadar deep-sea port, completed in 2007, was supposed to be a shining success for the other newly built ports in...
Broken metropolis
12 Jan, 2025

Broken metropolis

KARACHI, Pakistan’s economic juggernaut, is the largest contributor to the nation’s tax revenue. The Federal...
Afghan outreach
Updated 11 Jan, 2025

Afghan outreach

Islamabad should stress stronger counterterrorism measures, yet also engage the Taliban high command in Kandahar as well as politicians in Kabul.
Fragile recovery
11 Jan, 2025

Fragile recovery

STATE Bank Governor Jameel Ahmed appears to be quite optimistic over recent economic gains. That is not unusual;...
Destination Europe
11 Jan, 2025

Destination Europe

THE country’s aviation authorities can rest a little easy. After a four-year banishment from European skies,...