Atif Rana suggests PCB to hold ‘mini-PSL’ after NZ & England pull out

LAHORE: Atif Rana, Lahore Qalandars’ Chief Executive Officer on Thursday has said that the cancellation of the New Zealand and England series has provoked anger and despair among the people of Pakistan.
Keeping in view the disappointment of cricket fans, Lahore Qalandars COO Samin Rana and Quetta Gladiators owner Nadeem Umar have suggested the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) conducts a “mini-PSL” in these difficult times.
In an exclusive interview with a private news channel, Atif Rana mentioned that if there is a match between the teams of two different countries in Pakistan, the number of spectators in the stadium is less as compared to the number of people seen during the matches of Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars.
The CEO said: “If a match between Karachi and Lahore is organised during these times, public’s attention will be diverted from the cancellation of the England-New Zealand series.”
Rana, on a lighter note, said if Lahore Qalandars loses, people will call out the players and the team, and they would “eventually forget about what happened to the England and New Zealand series.”
Shedding light on the future of Lahore Qalandars, the CEO said that the team has a lot of plans.
“Lahore Qalandars has always provided happiness to people,” he said, adding that the team wants to provide relief to fans after the recent setbacks.
England, New Zealand cancel Pakistan tour
Pakistan cricket suffered another great setback last week when England cancelled its Pakistan tour after New Zealand pulled out earlier.
Expressing regret, the ECB had said, “We understand that this decision will be a significant disappointment to the PCB”, who have worked tirelessly to host the return of international cricket in their country.
On September 17, moments before the ODI series opener at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) board backed out of the much-awaited tour, citing a security alert from their government.
The Pakistani authorities assured the team of complete security, but they insisted on calling off the series.
The PCB had said that New Zealand Cricket’s decision to pull their players from the series was a “unilateral” decision taken by the Kiwis without consulting the PCB.
Read more: PCB decides to take tough stance against New Zealand at ICC