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Thursday March 28, 2024

To play or not to play is the question for overseas players

By our correspondents
February 23, 2017

HBL PSL finale in Lahore

DUBAI: Even as the second season of HBL Pakistan Super League enters its business end, players and officials associated with the event are still weighing the pros and cons of having the T20 league’s final in Lahore.

The league’s bosses are adamant about their plans of hosting the March 5 finale at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium despite a series of bombings in various parts of Pakistan including Lahore.

They have claimed that many overseas players are willing to travel to Lahore for the final next week.

However, there are reports which suggest that the organisers’ claims could be exaggerated.

According to one report, “a number of county cricketers named in a list of players who could be called upon to travel to Pakistan for the final of the PSL remain unsure about whether they will go. Earlier this week, the PSL decided to go ahead with staging its final in Lahore, despite a recent series of attacks across Pakistan that have claimed over 100 lives.”

The report added that the five franchises were presented with a list of 54 foreign players whom the PCB claim are willing to travel to Lahore for the final. Fifteen are contracted to counties, including former England internationals Jade Dernbach and Phil Mustard.

However, despite the PCB’s claim that those on the list are ready to go, the reports said that a number of the English contingent are noncommittal about travelling to Lahore if they are picked up to replace those overseas players who opt out. One player, approached for comment by Cricinfo, was unaware he had even been named on the list.

Even for the other would-be alternatives, the reservations over security are still great, according to the report. Many say they put themselves forward under the proviso that security can be guaranteed in writing. After Tuesday morning’s suicide bombing outside a courthouse in northwestern Pakistan — the tenth incident of terrorist violence in little over a week across Pakistan, which includes a bombing in Lahore — one player contacted had all but ruled himself out.

In an email sent to players and agents last week, the PCB sought to allay fears of what is described as “the occasional incident across the massive expanse of Pakistan”. The email states that ECB president Giles Clarke, who visited Lahore in January as head of ICC Task Force for Pakistan, will send representatives from the ECB “to review preparations already in place”. Clarke gave an update to members at the ICC board meetings in Dubai recently in which he recommended that all members take the opportunity to send their own security experts to Pakistan to assess the current situation.

However, the report said that the ECB, Clarke’s own board, denied the claim in the email and stated that they will not be sending anyone to review matters in Lahore. The report added that Reg Dickason, who advises the ECB on security matters on a consultancy basis, will visit Lahore ahead of the final, mostly likely on behalf of FICA, along with ICC security manager Sean Norris. The ECB also confirmed that they are not currently involved in any discussions about creating a “Commonwealth team” to tour Pakistan later in the year — another claim made in the email.

Foreign players who do end up going will be paid separately for playing in the final, on top of business class travel and expenses, at four different rates: Platinum ($50,000), Diamond ($25,000 USD), Gold ($15,000 USD) and Silver ($10,000).