Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal on Sunday said that the Sindh Government has delivered on its promise and is hopeful that all concerned parties will be satisfied with the arrangements made for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2018 final to be conducted in Karachi.
The comments were made while the home minister visited the National Stadium during a dress rehearsal for the final was underway in the metropolis. The final itself is expected to be held in Karachi on March 25.
"We have delivered all the promises we made for the security of the final; all security agencies have come together to make this event possible," Siyal said.
He added: "I hope this arrangement satisfies the ICC team that is visiting the country to review the preparations we have made. We will take any suggestions they make into consideration and hope that the final will take place in Karachi."
At least 8,000 personnel of different law enforcement agencies participated in the rehearsal, which took place in two parts: the first leg of the rehearsal stretched from the airport to the hotel, where the teams will be staying, while the second leg took place from the hotel to Karachi's National Stadium.
The city government had provided paramedic staff and fire brigade services for the rehearsal, while a control room had been created to monitor the movement of each and every person present in and around the stadium.
"We have 80 cameras set up in and round the stadium. These cameras are capable of zooming in on the crowd so everyone present in the stadium will be monitored," Qaisar Abbas, a member of the monitoring team, told DawnNews.
"Anyone who passes through any gate of the stadium will be passing in front of camera for facial recognition," Abbas said.
On the basis of the successful conduct of the rehearsal, recommendations will be made to the Federation of International Cricketers' Association, which will then decide whether or not to allow foreign players to participate in the PSL final.
A total of 34 matches will be played across different venues in Dubai, Sharjah and Lahore.
During the season, all teams will play against each other twice before the top four teams qualify for the play-off stage.
Last year, the PSL Season 2 final was held at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium amid tight security.
It was seen by some as a watershed moment in Pakistan's cricketing history as it saw several foreign cricketers visit Pakistan under tight security years after a gun-and-bomb attack on a Sri Lankan side in Lahore.
Since the PSL 2 final, a World XI side and a Sri Lanka side have also played in Lahore. The PSL 2018 final is seen as the next step in PCB's long-term plan to bring international cricket back to the cricket-deprived nation.
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