Final in Lahore

As the second edition of the Pakistan Super League reaches its playoff stage, the Punjab government has given a public go-ahead for the final to be held in Lahore on March 5. The news finally puts to rest speculation that the recent resurgence of militant violence would indefinitely delay the return of international cricket to Pakistan. It will be welcomed by the tens of millions who have been yearning to see their own country’s stars face off against the best of the world in a competitive match. Nothing can match watching teams walk out on to a green field and the fervour which makes its wave around the cricket ground each time a ball crosses the boundary line or the stumps crumble as they are hit. There is already mass excitement in Lahore over the decision to host the T-20 final in the city before what will inevitably be a packed stadium. There are, though, still some problems to be worked out. A lot of the international cricketers will be understandably hesitant to travel to Lahore and so the PSL authorities are working on an alternative arrangement where they will create a pool of cricketers willing to play in Pakistan and then allow the two finalists to pick players from this pool. There has also been talk of foreign players being offered incentive payments. Given that the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team was in Lahore, the fear is perhaps inevitable. But even if only Pakistani players show up at Gaddafi Stadium on March 5, they too will be greeted by a full house overjoyed at finally seeing their heroes in action.

The security arrangements made for the final certainly sound comprehensive. The players are to be given the highest level of security. Fans will need to present valid CNICs to be allowed entry to the match and the stadium and its environs will be enveloped by police and military personnel. Pakistan’s cricketing isolation has cost it dearly, both financially and in the development of its cricket team, so the PSL and the government are leaving nothing to chance. There are some who have been critical of the decision to stage the match in Lahore and reasonable people can disagree about the wisdom of the choice. There has also been an outcry over what some feel are very high-priced tickets for the event. The PSL was started as a way for Pakistan to compete with the likes of India, whose IPL has made it the game’s financial and sporting powerhouse. The PSL is still in the early stages of its development but a successful final in Lahore would raise its profile. If Lahore and the Gaddafi Stadium are indeed able to carry off the final successfully this will deliver a huge boost to cricket in the country. It will also act to unify a nation that is badly in need of good news and a diversion from the traumas that have plagued it notably over the past two weeks. The distant cheers of the audience are already beginning to echo out across a country where cricket almost represents a part of life. We must hope this event will allow it to perhaps live again in a country which badly needs the game and the glory it brings.