In a bid to convince foreign players to fly down to Lahore and play in the final of the second edition of Pakistan Super League, the country’s Cricket Board (PCB) is luring overseas recruits with extra money and better accomodation facilities at National Cricket Academy.
Najam Sethi, who heads the PSL secretariat and is also head of the PCB’s influential executive committee, told reporters in Lahore that some foreign players have already agreed to play the PSL final.
Sethi didn’t disclose the names of the foreign players but said they had been assured of foolproof security. “I can assure you the PSL final in Lahore will be bigger than the one held in UAE last February,” Sethi said.
No top team has toured Pakistan since March, 2009 after militants attacked the Sri Lankan team bus here. Since 2009 the PCB has only managed to convince low ranked teams Zimbabwe, Kenya and Afghanistan to play in Pakistan.
The PCB launched its own T20 league with overseas players in February with considerable success and has now scheduled the second edition next February also in the UAE but has said that it wants the final to be staged in Lahore at its headquarters at the Gaddafi stadium.
Sethi confirmed overseas players were being offered extra money to play the final in Lahore.
“We are offering them atleast USD 20,000 each extra if they play the final in Lahore,” he said.
He said the plan was to have accommodation for the teams at the NCA as part of the security plan for the PSL final.