English cricketers mull over participating in the Lahore final despite security concern

A prominent English cricketers may go against the advice of their union to participate in the final of the Pakistan Super League, which is scheduled to take place in Lahore. The security fears have been revoked in the country after the recent Quetta terrorist attack. Fifty-nine people were killed in the Pakistan city Quetta on Tuesday when terrorists stormed a police training academy.

Ten English players have been drafted for the 2017 competition, which will largely be staged in Dubai before the final takes place in Pakistan. Although the England and Wales Cricket Board will grant the players No Objection Certificates, the Professional Cricketers’ Association, in conjunction with the Federation of International Cricketers’ Association, has strongly advised them not to go to Lahore. The PCA has said the situation in Pakistan “presents an unacceptably high-security risk and remains unmanageable”.

It is understood that the players, including Luke Wright, who is due to play for Quetta Gladiators alongside Kevin Pietersen, Tymal Mills and David Willey, are happy to compete in Pakistan should their team reach the final. Those considering playing in the final have been encouraged to ensure their insurance coverage is in place and were reminded they travel as individuals and at their own risk.

However, Wright, Mills and Jade Dernbach, who hope to be selected as an injury replacement having not been picked in the draft, are understood to be relaxed about travelling to Pakistan. English players have not yet been sent the paperwork for the competition, so do not know if skipping the Lahore final would amount to a breach of it.

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Seventy English players entered the competition’s draft, with those successful including Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan, both of whom pulled out of the tour of Bangladesh over security concerns. However, it is likely that they and other England white-ball regulars would not be involved in the Lahore final on 9 March as the national team arrive in the Caribbean for a three-match ODI tour on 22 February, rendering them unavailable. Sam Billings, Ben Duckett and Willey are others playing in the PSL who are likely to tour the West Indies.

There have been suggestions the final could be moved from Lahore but Najam Sethi, the PSL chairman, said at the draft on 19 October: “International players know what we can do; most of them are ready to come to Pakistan and play. We have signed players with a condition that, if their team reaches the final, they will have to go to Lahore and they have all agreed. The government has promised to give full security to the players. We are convinced that the final will happen in Lahore.”

The ECB’s stance on the PSL is the same as its view on next month’s Bangladesh Premier League. England has been granted protection on tour in Bangladesh that is without precedent and the PCA believes that players could not be guaranteed the same security at the BPL.