LAHORE: Chairman Pakistan Super League (PSL) Najam Sethi said on Monday that once Pakistan succeeds in hosting the league final in Lahore on March 5, at least one or two foreign teams are likely to tour Pakistan later in the year.

Addressing a press conference along with a new sponsors of the league, Homage, Sethi said the government has taken several steps to improve the security situation which would be vital to convince the foreign teams to resume cricket in Pakistan.

He said the decision of holding the final in Lahore on March 5 was also an attempt to prove to the world that the security arrangements in Pakistan were satisfactory.

He said the recent visit to Lahore by Giles Clarke, chairman of the ICC Task Force on Pakistan, was a good thing and he went back satisfied with the security arrangements.

Sethi said the PSL was an asset of the country and everyone should protect it as national interest.

He observed that through PSL, some new and talented players were discovered who found their place in the national team as well.

Sethi emphasised that the PSL had no dearth of sponsors today which is a very different and healthy situation compared to the time when the PCB launched it last year.

He said a second draft of the players could be held during the PSL to provide the players an option to either go to Lahore to play the final or abstain from it.

He said the PSL wanted to also include the representatives of FICA in the process of ensuring them and their security agency that the security arrangements in Pakistan are entirely satisfactory. FICA has raised concerns in the recent past over the security situation in Pakistan and advised the players not to go to Lahore to play the PSL final.

He said PSL base would increase gradually with the 6th, 7th and 8th teams included in the league.

Meanwhile, Parsa Rafique CEO Homage said it is a privilege to have partnered with Pakistan’s leading T20 league with the aim to promote the new talent through the exciting sport series.

Published in Dawn January 31st, 2017