LAHORE: Welcoming the decision to host the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final in Lahore, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan said the move would also help resume international cricket in Pakistan.

“A successful final in Lahore will definitely send a positive message to all [in cricketing world] that the security situation in Pakistan is getting better,” Shaharyar said while talking to reporters here on Tuesday.

Like the inaugural edition held last year, the second edition of PSL is also being staged in the UAE. On Monday, however, the PSL authorities took a bold step to hold the March 5 final of the league in Lahore, instead of Dubai, amid recent incidents of terrorism that have made security situation across the country once again precarious.

Terming the decision of the owners of PSL franchises to hold the final in Lahore as very wise, Shaharyar hoped the foreign players would also show interest in coming to Lahore to compete in the high-profile final.

“VVIP security will be provided to the visiting PSL teams and their officials as the government is very keen to organise a successful show in Lahore,” the PCB chief stated, adding staging the final in Lahore would prove vital in resuming international cricket in Pakistan.

The current wave of terrorism that has hit different parts of the country would not affect the PSL final which would be held under strict security arrangements, he vowed.

“The online sale of tickets [for PSL final] will start in the next couple of days,” he said.

To a question, Shaharyar however said though the security agencies must have started their homework for making strict security arrangements for staging a trouble-free PSL decider, so far they had not held any meeting in this regard with the PCB.

However the PCB, he added, had started its own arrangements at a fast pace for holding PSL final successfully.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2017