PSL 2018: Eliminators and Final in jeopardy as bomb-blast hits Lahore

Cricket in Pakistan has gone through a torrid time over the years. Several teams are reluctant to visit the nation owing to political tensions and terrorist attacks. The Pakistan Super League is a massive extravaganza in the country and the third edition of the tournament is currently underway. The league games are being played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with Lahore being the host of the eliminators and Karachi being the host of the Final.

Another blast before the Final  

However, the tournament has been jolted by a massive blow. Yesterday, Lahore has been struck by a bomb-explosion which injured nearly 20 persons. The blast surfaced at a police check post near Raiwind Tableeghi Jamaat Markaz. As per Rescue 1122, the casualties were shifted to the Sharif Medical City Hospital and Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Raiwind.

Kevin Pietersen has already opined on not visiting Pakistan if his team Quetta Gladiators qualify for the final. The recent incident may turn out to be a massive blow for Pakistan cricket if more players opt out from touring the war-stricken country. It will be interesting to see the views of participating players following the shameful occurring, especially the overseas cricketers.

However, this isn’t the first instance when a bomb-blast has sparked during a tournament in Pakistan. Last year, the iconic Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore hosted the Final of the second season of the event. However, a terrorist attack prior to the Final meant that several marquee players opted out from travelling to Pakistan.

Most recently, Najam Sethi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) expressed his desire to bring the whole tournament to Pakistan and the incident has come as a body blow to his aspirations. The fact that the eliminators will be played in Lahore is most likely to add to the headaches of the Pakistan team management.

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