"We will do a new draft to replace those not willing to play in Lahore" : Najam Sethi [update#32]

[SL_Fan]

"We will do a new draft to replace those not willing to play in Lahore" : Najam Sethi [update#32]

The Pakistan Super League will give franchises the option to draft new players in case contracted international stars opt out of the March 5 final at Lahore due to security reasons.

"On February 22 we will do a new draft," PSL chairman Najam Sethi said on a Pakistan TV channel. "We will put a formula in front of all the franchises and foreign players to let us know who will play the final in Lahore and who will not come."

International stars including West Indies batsman Chris Gayle, Shane Watson of Australia and England’s Twenty20 captain Eoin Morgan are among 30 foreign players contracted to five teams in the PSL Twenty20 tournament, which is being staged in the UAE.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has promised to provide top-level security to the PSL finalists at Gaddafi Stadium. But a bomber targeting police escorting a rally by pharmacists on Monday killed 13 people in Lahore, casting fresh doubt over whether foreign cricketers will risk a return to playing in Pakistan.

Sethi said he had been in contact with several foreign players who indicated they’d be willing to play the final in Lahore.

"We are in touch with other foreign players so that we could replace those (contracted international) players who are not willing to play in Lahore."

A report last month by the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) warned foreign players from travelling to Pakistan for matches.

On Tuesday, Pakistani army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa extended full support to the PSL organisers.

"I salute the army chief," Sethi said. "The PSL (final) which we are going to do is not just cricket, it has now more meaning into it.

"We want to show the world that it’s a showcase of Pakistan ... PSL is a window which we are using to bring back the world to Pakistan. We have worked very hard for it."

Pakistan has not hosted any major Test-playing countries since 2009 when terrorists attacked a bus and police convoy taking the Sri Lanka national team to a Test match at Lahore.

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[RehanG]

Sehti has gone out of his mind!! hold the final in Dubai, and accept the fact that no foreign will play in Lahore not for now. And why risk it anyfurther..

 

[Gabbar Singh]

A new draft for the final? Lmao this makes a mockery of the final. What is he thinking?

 

[ugem]

Threats and alerts were already there about the incident in the context of the final. Rather than doing these
stupid things now, they should have made special arrangements in Lahore and surroundings beforehand.

International players are not to blame at all now. Same happened when Zimbabwe team visited and were assured of fool proof security. And rather than making security arrangements beforehead they tried to manipulate media and not spread the news once blast occured.

 

[Madplayer]

Whats this madness!!! This man is going nuts these days!!! He should be taken to a jungle and tied to a tree and left there.

 

[the Great Khan]

fool..shift the final to sharjah and leave things be. You lost the chance to stage the final in lahore thanks to your govts incompetence..

 

[jazbati]

This makes it 2/2. There was a blast when Zimbabwe toured and now another one before the PSL final. Why do you want to risk innocent peoples life just for the sake of one 3 hour final affair?

This is not the right time to hold the final in Pakistan.

 

[Yossarian]

The Pakistan Super League will give franchises the option to draft new players in case contracted international stars opt out of the March 5 final at Lahore due to security reasons.

"On February 22 we will do a new draft," PSL chairman Najam Sethi said on a Pakistan TV channel. "We will put a formula in front of all the franchises and foreign players to let us know who will play the final in Lahore and who will not come."

Appears as if Najam Sethi or someone else in the PCB/PSL read my post.

1. Most of the foreign players will not be involved in the final anyway, no matter where it's held.

2. The final will involve 8 or so foreign players at most. As to who they might be will not be known until the two finalists are decided. The rest will not be involved.

3. Of those 8 or so players from the two finalists, not all of them will refuse to play in Pakistan. Some will, some won't.

4. Play the final in Pakistan.

5. Offer any foreign player slots that become empty, from the two finalists because of refusal of some foreign players to play in Pakistan, to any of the foreign players willing to play in Pakistan from any of the other teams that did not make the final. I'm betting that many will be willing to take up the offer.

http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/s...League-final-what-to-do&p=9103089#post9103089

 

[dhump]

This is absolute joke but what better to be expected from clown like Sethi...I am 99% sure he is doing this so Nawaz Sharif can say in one of his post panama speeches that he brought PSL final to lahore.

Crooked rascals.

 

[badsha001]

Like the PCB attitude... PSL final must be played in Pakistan at any cost (literally any cost)

 

[badsha001]

5. Offer any foreign player slots that become empty, from the two finalists because of refusal of some foreign players to play in Pakistan, to any of the foreign players willing to play in Pakistan from any of the other teams that did not make the final. I'm betting that many will be willing to take up the offer.


Not a bad idea...

 

[Salman]

Say what you like about Sethi but he's done good for the PSL from day 1.

I'd say both the semi final and final should be held on Pak soil, the people of Pakistan deserve it, any international players opting out should be sent home now.

 

[shariqnoor]

I wouldn't have cared if the final was in Lahore or Dubai initially but when PCB guaranteed at the start of the tournament that the final will be held in Lahore, then there's no backtracking now (blasts or no blasts). Stick with your decision and have the final in Lahore (with or without foreign players).

Even if the blast hadn't occurred, PCB would have given the foreign players presidential-level security anyways. A blast did not change that. So why afraid of holding it in Lahore?

And till when will you keep delaying cricket in Pakistan. If you relent now and say ok next year we'll have the final in Lahore, who's to say there won't be a blast next year? Will you then defer it to the year after? Please end this stupid loop. Either commit to cricket in Pakistan or don't commit to cricket in Pakistan. PCB is making a mockery of itself.

 

[Madplayer]

Like the PCB attitude... PSL final must be played in Pakistan at any cost (literally any cost)

Which foreign player will want to play in PSL next year? Is this the way you build team loyalty? Depriving foreign players who have worked hard for their teams from playing in the finals just because they prioritize their safety first. This is a joke. Incompetence and mismanagement of the highest order.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

As long as they get paid I don't think they will care. Players don't play in the PSL, IPL, Big Bash etc out of any team loyalty they play for $s.

Which foreign player will want to play in PSL next year? Is this the way you build team loyalty? Depriving foreign players who have worked hard for their teams from playing in the finals just because they prioritize their safety first. This is a joke. Incompetence and mismanagement of the highest order.

 

[shariqnoor]

Which foreign player will want to play in PSL next year? Is this the way you build team loyalty? Depriving foreign players who have worked hard for their teams from playing in the finals just because they prioritize their safety first. This is a joke. Incompetence and mismanagement of the highest order.

Nobody's depriving anyone anything. Before the tournament started, Najam Sethi announced that the final would be held in Lahore. The foreign players knew this before playing the PSL. If they are not willing to come (valid reason or not), this is on them. And I respect their decision. But to say that PCB is depriving them of a final is ridiculous. There's no incompetence or mismanagement by the PCB on this point so far. It will be if they don't hold the final in Lahore after having promised they will.

 

[Madplayer]

Nobody's depriving anyone anything. Before the tournament started, Najam Sethi announced that the final would be held in Lahore. The foreign players knew this before playing the PSL. If they are not willing to come (valid reason or not), this is on them. And I respect their decision. But to say that PCB is depriving them of a final is ridiculous. There's no incompetence or mismanagement by the PCB on this point so far. It will be if they don't hold the final in Lahore after having promised they will.

The blast didnt take place before the tournament did it? Everybody believed the situation had improved to the extent that a final could be held there. Well apparently its still a huge risk for the players.

PCB would surely have assured the foreign players that Lahore was safe and only then they would have agreed. Is it there fault that PCB were proved wrong? Imo it would be depriving them of their place in the final if the match goes ahead in Lahore without them. If they agree then its a different story.

 

[MightyObnoxious]

Which foreign player will want to play in PSL next year? Is this the way you build team loyalty? Depriving foreign players who have worked hard for their teams from playing in the finals just because they prioritize their safety first. This is a joke. Incompetence and mismanagement of the highest order.

Are you for real? What are you on about foreign players not coming next season if they don't play the final? Who told you that? Or you made that up yourself? And you care about depravity that foreigners will face if they don't play the final but not about the depravity being faced by the pubic. Why?

 

[shariqnoor]

The blast didnt take place before the tournament did it? Everybody believed the situation had improved to the extent that a final could be held there. Well apparently its still a huge risk for the players.

PCB would surely have assured the foreign players that Lahore was safe and only then they would have agreed. Is it there fault that PCB were proved wrong? Imo it would be depriving them of their place in the final if the match goes ahead in Lahore without them. If they agree then its a different story.

Is it PCB's fault that the blast happened? Nobody in the world can give you a guarantee that a blast won't occur? Can you give me a guarantee that in 2 hours time, you will not slip on the floor? Can the BCCI give you a guarantee that a blast won't happen in a city which is hosting an IPL match? Don't be stupid. What PCB can promise is fool-proof security to the players. As far as I know they haven't faltered on that as yet.

 

[Madplayer]

Are you for real? What are you on about foreign players not coming next season if they don't play the final? Who told you that? Or you made that up yourself?

Yeah i went OTT there..they will surely come but if they dont get to play in the final this year it would still leave a bad taste and give a bad name to the league imo.

And you care about depravity that foreigners will face if they don't play the final but not about the depravity being faced by the pubic. Why?

Because the players are working hard to reach finals. If they dont get to play in the final because you have failed in making them feel safe, it would be unfair to them. Its better to play in UAE with them rather than Play in Pakistan without them. You should have held a faisal bank t20 if you wanted to hold a tournament in Pak without foreign players.

 

[Madplayer]

Is it PCB's fault that the blast happened? Nobody in the world can give you a guarantee that a blast won't occur? Can you give me a guarantee that in 2 hours time, you will not slip on the floor? Can the BCCI give you a guarantee that a blast won't happen in a city which is hosting an IPL match? Don't be stupid. What PCB can promise is fool-proof security to the players. As far as I know they haven't faltered on that as yet.

This post is beyond me!! Lol! Please tell me some of it was sarcasm. So you want foreign players to come by promising them security in a city where blasts take place? Do u have any idea how stupid that sounds? Do u know how international tourism works?

India or any other country dont have a problem of terrorism as much as Pakistan so foreign players dont feel threatened there. I know security situation has improved in Pak but you cant convince anyone that it is completely safe when recently a blast took place.

I want cricket to return to Pak more than anyone else but lets not make desperate attempts which will only push us back.

 

[MightyObnoxious]

Yeah i went OTT there..they will surely come but if they dont get to play in the final this year it would still leave a bad taste and give a bad name to the league imo.



Because the players are working hard to reach finals. If they dont get to play in the final because you have failed in making them feel safe, it would be unfair to them. Its better to play in UAE with them rather than Play in Pakistan without them.

Better to play in UAE in an empty stadium then to play in Pakistan? Nah, I don't think so. People will stop caring about PSL if it doesn't come back home.

You should have held a faisal bank t20 if you wanted to hold a tournament in Pak without foreign players.

Name it something else but Pakistan Super League if it is to be played in UAE and not in Pakistan. Also, atleast people flock to the ground for Faysal Bank T20. It's only problem was to many teams. I am very sure even without foreign players, if a 8 team home away basis t20 tournament is held in Pakistan, with better broadcast production, it will be a hit. It was previously too. I remember Gaddafi being sold out for Lahore Lions and Karachi Dolphin final and quality was decent too. Only production and commentary were substandard.

 

[yasir]

This is ridiculous direction, having PSL final in Lahore is not the end goal, first fix law and order, there was suicide attack in Peshawar today as well...Making mockery of themselves and Cricket... Army once again, trying to poke into somebody else business, all these law and order issues and direction country has taken not in last decade but for many decades is because of there reckless policies, they never intent to fix any of that, always try to win cheap brownie points with public, they end up creating lot more mess... Army chief giving insurance means nothing, he has no credibility, they cannot control law and order, what else insurance means

 

[nighthawk23]

So what happens if foreign players in the new draft all demand the highest pay slot plus all other expenses paid by the PCB?

 

[Madplayer]

Better to play in UAE in an empty stadium then to play in Pakistan? Nah, I don't think so. People will stop caring about PSL if it doesn't come back home.

Name it something else but Pakistan Super League if it is to be played in UAE and not in Pakistan. Also, atleast people flock to the ground for Faysal Bank T20. It's only problem was to many teams. I am very sure even without foreign players, if a 8 team home away basis t20 tournament is held in Pakistan, with better broadcast production, it will be a hit. It was previously too. I remember Gaddafi being sold out for Lahore Lions and Karachi Dolphin final and quality was decent too. Only production and commentary were substandard.

Lets agree to disagree on it

 

[hailian]

Great thinking by Sethi. on 22nd they will select the players willing to play final in Lahore no matter what. This guy is trying hard to bring cricket back in Pakistan and will be successfull iA!

 

[tonmoy]

Might be a mockery of a final but I am for it because it sends a message to the terrorist that people shall not bow down to them.

 

[volcyz]

Pathetic stuff, nothing better is to be expected from a attention seeking idiot like Sethi.

 

[cricketerB94]

Sethi is doing good for international cricket to come back in Pakistan. Credit to him. If the cricket cannot return to Pakistan now, then it can never return. There will always a blast take place before any such incident to scare people. But we have to show that we are not scared rabbits who they can be bullied easily.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

I'd go through with it as well. You can't keep getting scared. This time majority will not come but the number will gradually increase every season if they are provided foolproof security.

 

[Adil_94]

without intl players and coaches the final will just be a glorified version of Faysal Bank T20. Intl stars are what make these leagues. If there wasnt a blast in Lahore then yes 100% the final should have been there. But now theres been a blast its 100% understandable that foreign players will feel uneasy from playing in Pakistan. They should host the final in UAE this year and then next year the final should be in Pak if there arent any more attacks.

 

[SL_Fan]

PSL’s second draft delayed until March 4

Pakistan Super League organisers have delayed the second players’ draft until March 4, by which time they will know the identity of the two finalists, the league coordinator has said.

Last week, the PSL had announced a second draft of players after ascertaining which players were willing to go to Lahore for March 5 final.

The Pakistan Cricket Board and the PSL officials are adamant that the final will only be held in Lahore despite a series of bomb blasts in Pakistan, killing over 120 people in the last one week.

One blast in Lahore killed 14 people and left over 100 injured, threatening the conduct of the final. The Federation of International Cricketers Association (FICA) had also warned foreign players about the heightened security risk in Lahore.

Faisal Mirza, the coordinator, said in a tweet that the draft proposed for Wednesday had been postponed.

“Lots of people asking re Draft tomorrow,” said Mirza on Tuesday (February 21). “No event as such. Teams will nominate standby players from private list, selections later-if needed.”

The PCB had given a list of 54 foreign players, with only one currently featuring in the ongoing league, who were available for the Lahore final. The two finalists will have the choice to select foreign players from that list.

All five franchises on Tuesday agreed to play the final in Lahore. The final decision on whether to go ahead with the title clash in Lahore rests with Punjab’s provincial government, despite the federal government and Pakistan Army assuring full support.

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[gkb101277867]

So do we know yet which players have refused to go to Lahore?

 

[Madplayer]

This is beyond a joke. So they are going to hold an auction so close to the finals?