Karachi, March 07, 2019 (PPI-OT): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Chairman PCB Ehsan Mani who along with his delegation called on him here at the CM House, discussed final arrangements made for Pakistan Super League (PSL) Matches staring from March 9 to 17 in the city.
“There will be fool proof security arrangements for the players and matches in the city and I am sure next time you will bring all PSL matches to Karachi,” Murad Ali Shah said and added he had constituted a committee with Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani as chairman, Home Secretary Kazi Kabir and Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shahlwani as its members.
Mr Shah said that the committee has worked day and night to make all the arrangements right from carpeting of the roads, improvement of drainage system, provision of water, security plan, arrangements at the stadium and finalizing routes from airport to hotels and hotels to stadium. “Your [PCB] team also worked with the committee and now everything is upto the mark,” he said.
The meeting was attended by Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, Advisor to CM Murtaza Wahab, Home Secretary Kazi Kabir and Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shahlwani. The other with the PCB chairman were Sr General Manager National Stadium Arshad Khan and Director International Cricket operation Zakir Khan.
Chairman PCB Ehsan Mandi said, had the chief minister not taken his personal interest, the PSL would not have returned to Karachi even last year. “This is your unflinching support, cooperation and efforts which developed our confidence in the Sindh government and we brought eight matches instead of five to the city,” he told the chief minister.
The chief minister said that last year when PSL matches were held here he had made his personal efforts to make it possible but after that event PCB did not return to him for evolving future strategy to return international cricket and PSL matches, he deplored and added he wanted to hold at least one match in Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad, this year.
The chairman PCB vowed to hold a PSL match in Hyderabad next year. “We will work together and plan the future matches just let this event over,” he said. Mr Shah said that after PSL, he and Chairman PCB would visit Niaz Stadium along with concerned experts so that all the requirements for international matches in the stadium could be revamped.
Murad Ali Shah urged the Chairman PCB to bring international cricket matches to Karachi and “I’ll support you whatever the PCB will need,” he said and added “I am ready to create conducive environment in the city for international matches as per SOP of International Cricket but for this purpose the PCB will have to work with him,” he said. Thus, the Chief Minister and the PCB chief agreed to work together for bringing international cricket matches to Karachi.
Mr Shah also complained that the PCB was not hunting talent from rural areas of Sindh. At this the Chairman PCB and Sr GM National Stadium said that they would send their special talent hunting teams to rural areas of the province to select under 13 and 16 players to induct them in PSL and international matches.
The chief minister was told that six PSL teams would play matches in the city and all the tickets for all the matches have been sold out. It was also pointed out that over 50 international players, coaches and commentators were participating in the PSL in the city. “This is a mega event and we all will make it a memorable event,” Murad Shah concluded.
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