Sethi has been criticised in Pakistan for making this hasty decision to stage the final in Lahore.
Pakistan Super League chairman Najam Sethi says that Pakistanis are a peace-loving nation and they wouldn't be bogged down by terrorism threats and the final will be held successfully in Lahore.
While talking to Khaleej Times exclusively after third play-off which was won by Peshawar Zalmi at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday night, Sethi said: "We have overcome many hurdles to stage two editions of the PSL and security threats can't deter us to host the final in Lahore.
"There were more than 14,000 thousand security personnel deployed during the 2012 London Olympics and there wouldn't be that much in Lahore.
"If there is an accident on the road, people don't stop driving cars and if there is a plane crash, people will not stop travelling by air. We have been facing these types of situations and the life is going on."
The match between Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings was last of the PSL 2017 in the UAE which drew huge crowds. More than 25,000 thousand spectators were inside the stadium and thousands were stranded outside hoping to get tickets and watch the match. There were many scuffles between security people and Pathans as they broke down the barriers and tried to enter the ground.
"The crowds during the whole tournament and especially tonight is the testimony that this league is the second most popular league in the world after Indian Premier League.
"The rating of the IPL is going down while the PSL is becoming more popular. If you look at the matches this year almost all of them were decided in the final over. This edition has produced more quality cricket and I salute the fans for making it so successful," the journalist-turned administrator said.
Sethi has been criticised in Pakistan for making this hasty decision to stage the final in Lahore while the security situation doesn't allow this. Some people say that since he is close to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif government and it is a political decision but Sethi denied these allegations by saying: "We have faced criticism since day one and we have proved naysayers wrong.
"Earlier we were criticised for hosting the PSL in the UAE and now when arrangements have made to stage the final in Lahore they are against it.
"They should accept their failure and it is the wish of the people of Pakistan to bring the cricket back in the country. I am just obeying the orders of the Pakistani fans and it will make me and the whole nation proud," Sethi concluded.
Share This Post
