FEB 16, (DNA) -Following blasts on Monday (February 13) which thus far has claimed 13 lives and left several injured, the chances of Lahore hosting the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final with its aspirations of having overseas players has been jolted badly. However, Najam Sethi, the PSL chairman, seemed adamant about hosting the big match in Pakistan and has now announced the idea of conducting a fresh player draft for the franchises.

“On February 22 we will do a new draft,” Najam Sethi told on Thursday (February 16). “We will put a formula in front of all the franchises and foreign players to let us know who will play the final in Lahore and who will not come.”

Following blasts on Monday (February 13) which thus far has claimed 13 lives and left several injured, the chances of Lahore hosting the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final with its aspirations of having overseas players has been jolted badly. However, Najam Sethi, the PSL chairman, seemed adamant about hosting the big match in Pakistan and has now announced the idea of conducting a fresh player draft for the franchises.

“On February 22 we will do a new draft,” Najam Sethi told the Pakistani news channel Geo TV on Thursday (February 16). “We will put a formula in front of all the franchises and foreign players to let us know who will play the final in Lahore and who will not come.”

The PSL features some of the biggest international names in cricket like that of Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Kumar Sangakkara, Shane Watson and Darren Sammy. It is understood that Sethi had been in constant touch with some of the overseas players who were willing to take part in the final but the latest development would have brought the discussions back to square one.

“Once we know who are the foreign players willing to go and then we will have a new draft for the final. All those who do not want to go will be replaced by some other foreign player who we are in contact with. We are looking for further arrangements so we want to host the final in Lahore with or without foreign players.”

On Tuesday (February 14), Pakistani Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa had extended his full support to the organisers in their bid to bring back prominent cricket to the country, which is yet to host any major cricket nation since the 2009 attacks on the Sri Lankan team.

“I salute the army chief,” Sethi said. “The PSL (final) which we are going to do is not just cricket, it has now more meaning into it. We want to show the world that it’s a showcase of Pakistan… PSL is a window which we are using to bring back the world to Pakistan. We have worked very hard for it,” Sethi concluded.

The PSL final is slated to be played on March 5 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.