In Dubai for the Pakistan Super League opening ceremony and then for several matches, especially between teams they are supporting – celebrities like Ali Zafar, Shaan and Fahad Mustafa were ecstatic that the PSL final would be held in Lahore this year.
In Dubai for the Pakistan Super League opening ceremony and then for several matches, especially between teams they are supporting – celebrities like Ali Zafar, Shaan and Fahad Mustafa were ecstatic that the PSL final would be held in Lahore this year. There was a feeling of excitement and optimism at the very thought of bringing international cricket back home. The recent terror attack on the cultural city, however, has cast a very dark shadow on the situation.
PCB has not issued a formal statement on the fate of the final match, scheduled for March 5, but we managed to contact several celebrities we met in Dubai for their thoughts on the situation.
“We should stand strong and collected in the face of this fear and menace and prove our resilience as a nation for as many times as we are tried and tested,” Ali Zafar said. “It will be a big moment for Pakistan to bring cricket home as planned. However, (it has to be done) with all security parameters in check.”
“Whether or not the final should be held in Lahore depends on the security situation,” Shaan responded briefly. In Dubai he was most excited about the idea of the PSL Final in his hometown and was looking forward to joining cricket fans in Gaddafi Stadium, “where the pulse is incomparable to anywhere else in the world,” he said.
“A lot of damage has been done so why would we want to put someone’s life in danger just for the heck of it?” Fahad Mustafa said, without mincing his thoughts. “I really want cricket to happen in Pakistan but it’s not happening any time soon. It’s only fair that we play the final in Dubai. I think this isn’t the right time for it.”
