THE Pakistan Cricket Board has decided. It is ready to stage the PSL final in Lahore even if some of the big foreign players opt out of the show because of security reasons. The board now says it has the backing of all five franchises that make up the league, and it has provided a list of foreign cricketers who are willing to play in Pakistan. The franchises which qualify for the final, scheduled for March 5, can choose from among the players on this list. Or they can rely on Pakistani talent in their squads to see them through to the title. But whichever option they exercise, it will not be an ordinary game or ordinary final. This is going to be a statement of resolve by the country, a landmark in its fight to protect its people’s right to live by their own, long-nurtured values. It is going to be a statement that Pakistan had to issue sooner or later, even if it is a sensitive matter. The board is perhaps more confident after its plans for a Lahore final got the nod from those at the helm in Pakistan, and especially the army chief’s backing.

Pakistan cricket has suffered badly ever since the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March 2009. All attempts at revival since have been unsuccessful, bar a short visit here by a Zimbabwe team. There has been a serious loss of revenue while the impact of this home drought on Pakistani cricketers has been grim. The lack of international exposure on Pakistani soil is often evident in the half-cooked performances of some of the young players who have been growing in isolation — with little access to the innovations and new techniques of international cricket. The search for restoration of the old order has seen PCB bosses knocking on many doors, but the required support — some may call it a favour — has not been forthcoming. This leaves the board with little choice but to take the ‘local route’ for yet another attempt at bringing high-level international cricket back to the waiting fans here. This is not a bad script at all: Pakistani talent has been showcased in the PSL games in the UAE and considerable interest has been generated. A successful holding of the final on home turf should in all likelihood necessitate fresh evaluations and hopefully some positive projections about this country.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2017