Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani said that the recent staging of eight Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches in Karachi is a sign that PCB’s credibility has hit a new level and the board is now taken seriously at an international level.
The PCB head made the remarks during a press conference in Lahore a day after the Quetta Gladiators trounced Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL 2019 final held at National Stadium Karachi.
He said that the biggest endorsement was that 39 to 40 foreign players came to Pakistan and
the most impressive bit was how the Karachi crowd supported us. Some 200,000 came to watch these matches, and from what I believe, 150 million saw the matches on TV.
‘This was a remarkable endorsement of PSL. Due to the geo-political situation, it was important that we demonstrated that Pakistan is capable of holding such an event’.
Mani said that the incident in New Zealand proves that terrorism is not just a Pakistani problem but a global menace. He also offered to share PCB’s expertise on the subject.
Meanwhile International Cricket Council chief executive David Richardson said that the people and security forces of Pakistan deserve appreciation for their efforts that have changed the international perception that Pakistan was not a safe country for cricket.
Addressing a press conference at the National Stadium Karachi, where he watched the final of the Pakistan Super League , the ICC chief said the fact that so many foreign players had agreed to come to Pakistan to play in the PSL was indicative of the improved security situation in the country.
Richardson said that trust building up among foreign teams — from security advisors to the players — regarding playing cricket in Pakistan has increased tremendously.
“The level of comfort is growing all the time amongst the foreign players and foreign teams,” he said. He assured ICC’s support to the Pakistan Cricket Board in its efforts to encourage foreign teams to visit Pakistan.
The successful conclusion of PSL has significantly boosted country’s soft image as reflected in the presser of ICC’s head. The nation has fully enjoyed the event and showed that it loves peace and entertainment. All credit goes to law enforcement institutions,PCB, political parties and whole nation who jointly defeated terrorism and finally city of lights hosted this colourful event. This is also indeed a good sign for Pakistan’s cricket and it is believed that it will pave way for fully resumption of international cricket in the country very soon
