PSL Final in Lahore: A Nation’s Pride at Stake!

We live in a society that suffers from polarization and the fact was even more apparent when the government after much deliberation finally decided to host the final of Pakistan Super League (PSL) in Lahore. The news immediately generated conflicting views and the “Media Wallas” were quick to cash on the opportunity.

There were those who believed that the success of the event can certainly lead towards new avenues for Pakistan cricket and then there were others who feared that a failure would result in hurting the cause so bad that Pakistan might not see any international cricket at least for another decade.

To be honest I kind of agree with both schools of thought and hence, do not understand why people really need to argue (that too on television) like a five year old when what they are saying can really be explained in a much decent manner.

For a start there is no denying the fact that a successful event should give confidence to international stake-holders and even more importantly to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) which should make way for more of such activities in future. However, the argument on the other side too is not easy to dismiss.

Unfortunately, the country is once again going through this awful wave of terrorism. Given the circumstances, the risk associated with organizing such an event is actually very real and a financially weak PCB can ill-afford another mishap as it could well be the last nail in the coffin!

Still for me there is something that is even more significant than cricket. If things end well the holding of PSL final in Lahore will just be another example of how resilient a nation we are and how despite enormous challenges we have managed to somehow not allow terrorism to claim our pride and happiness. However, an unwanted incident here has the potential of not only damaging the reputation of the state but also the pride of a nation to whom defying odds might never seem practical again!

I pray for a successful event not only because I love cricket but also because I feel the nation’s pride and its way of life is at stake!