KARACHI – Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mr Ehsan Mani, on behalf of thePCB, has paid glowing tributes and thanked the die-hard cricket fans, the39 foreign international players and all the local stars for making the HBLPakistan Super League 2019 an overwhelming success.
Mr Mani termed the league as a ‘resilient’ event and said it had deliveredall event objectives despite tough operational and logistical challengescaused due to reasons beyond the PCB’s control.
Mr Mani also thanked all the franchise owners and their players, as well asthe Sindh Government and all the security agencies involved in providing asafe and secure environment for the commercial partners, players,spectators, officials, media and service providers for the eightPakistan-leg matches played at the National Stadium.
“The fans made this a truly Pakistan event. Cricket euphoria gripped theentire country as the fans got behind the tournament and made this anoverwhelming success,” Mr Mani said, adding“The fans not only enjoyed andcelebrated the festival of cricket, but they also portrayed a very positiveimage of Pakistan.
“This is the real power of a nation and I can’t thank the fans enough forthe way they got behind the tournament, supported all the teams andapplauded good performances,” Mr Mani said.
“The success of any event is gauged by crowd attendances and I am delightedthat the overall crowd turnout at the National Stadium over the seven matchdays was nearly 95 per cent. This reflects the passion and love for crickethere.
“I am sad that the Lahore fans were unable to attend the matches due tooperational and logistical challenges, but they too contributed in a bigway and I am thankful to all those who backed and supported the matches inthe larger national interest,” said Mr Mani, a former President of theInternational Cricket Council.
Mr Mani said the HBL PSL had been designed as a vehicle to resumeinternational cricket in Pakistan, which needs to be played across thecountry.
“We have gradually increased the number of matches in Pakistan from one tothree to eight. I am confident we will have matches at more venues nextyear. In this relation, we will soon start our preparations for HBL PSL2020 and in due course share plans on how we can increase fan participationby expanding the league. It is inevitable that more than eight matches atmultiple venues will be held in Pakistan in 2020,” he said.
Mr Mani said despite facing severe mid-series operational and logisticalchallenges, the league didn’t drop the ball at any stage and continued tomaintain its very high standard and quality.
“The 2019 event has shown how resilient this league is. Having lost theproduction partner in the first week and then the fallout from last month’sturn of events, to pull everything smoothly, flawlessly and professionallyreflects the strength and power of this league.
“Shane Watson’s decision to come to Karachi after having declinedpre-event, is a testament of the confidence he had in the PCB and all thesecurity agencies. It was also a validation that he too considered Karachias a peaceful and cricket-loving city, while reinforcing his respect andcommitment for the league.”
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Mr Mani appreciated the cooperation of the Sindh Government and all thelocal law-enforcing agencies.
“I want to pass on my gratitude to the local administration and all thesecurity agencies for their hard work and cooperation. By hosting six highprofile teams and staging eight matches in seven days, we have shown theworld our capabilities and resources to stage international matches.”
Mr Mani said the quality of cricket was from the top draw.
“The league lived up to the expectations of the fans and followers when itprovided 15 last-over finishes. There were 21 matches in which scores of170 or more were scored, while 404 runs were scored in the match betweenMultan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars. This high-quality cricket was playeddue to good batting surfaces.”
Mr Mani thanked all the players for upholding the Spirit of Cricket.
“It was so heartening to see the players competing hard but at the sametime playing within the Spirit of Cricket, by respecting the opponents andthe umpires. This event was a great advertisement and promotion for cricketand I am sure the younger generation will learn the way this great gameneeds to be played.
“All those players and officials who participated in this event are rolemodels and inspiration for the future generation of cricketers. I can saywith conviction that they have played a huge part in the PCB’s endeavours’for the complete restoration of international cricket in Pakistan.
“I want to extend my thanks to the franchisees and all the commercialpartners, without whose contribution we would not have been able to puttogether an event which is now one of the most talked about events in theworld. I am confident after this event, our relationship with thefranchisees and the commercial partners will strengthen and we will dobetter in future.
“I also want to thank the respected members of the media for promoting andpublicising the event through column-inches and airtime. Media are a veryimportant stakeholder and through this event, our bonding with them hasstrengthened as we aim to work together in the best interests of cricketand the country.
“And, last, but not the least, I want to thank all the volunteers who tooktime out from their studies and jobs to work tirelessly in making theexperience of the fans memorable.
