LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani on Monday said that successful staging of the Pakistan leg of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has strengthened the credibility of the cricket governing body.
While addressing a presser in Lahore, Mani said that the international cricket boards have started to take PCB more “seriously” now.
Mani observed that the fact that over 40 renowned international cricketers attended the Pakistan leg of the league “speaks volumes” about its success.
While praising the nation for expressing its passion for the game, Mani said that “over 200,000 spectators came to watch these matches”.
“More than 150 million watched the games on their TV screens,” he asserted while adding that this was a “remarkable endorsement of the league”.
“All we needed [to bring back international cricket] was an event like this to prove to the international community that we are ready to host international cricket on our grounds,” Mani said.
Mani further said that he was warned against the holding of all eight PSL eliminators in the provincial metropolis due to security concerns but he rejected the suggestion as the cricket governing body was committed to bringing the entire league to Pakistan.
He also praised the Sindh government for lending its help for the successful holding of the fourth edition of the celebrated league and contributing towards the revival of international cricket in the country.
While speaking about the Christchurch terror attack, Mani said that it clearly shows that terrorism is a global issue and “not just restrained to underdeveloped countries”.
Mani observed that the “world now knows what challenge Pakistan had faced [in the form of terrorism]” and reiterated that “we are also a victim [of terrorism]”.
While answering a query regarding the toning down of PSL closing ceremony and observing a one-minute silence, he said that it was done in order to show solidarity to the Christchurch victims.
