Reg Dickason, the ICC security consultant, has expressed his satisfaction over the security arrangements in Karachi for this year's Pakistan Super League final. The Pakistan Cricket Board had planned to bring this year's final to Karachi after successfully staging last year's final in Lahore. Dickason, who had arrived in Karachi to review the security arrangements, revealed that the board had given the delegation a thorough presentation.
"From what we have seen today and what was demonstrated and documentation and level of commitment by all of these people here, I am very very satisfied," Dickason said.
"It was such comprehensive, thorough and professional presentation with the efforts of all agencies including that of Najam Sethi from the PCB and the board's security department. It is very encouraging and it will be reflected in any subsequent report I will give to the PCB and the ICC."
Even though a World XI toured Pakistan last year for three T20Is followed by a visit from Sri Lanka for a solitary T20I, the matches were only held in Lahore. Karachi last hosted an international match in 2009, a Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan, a week before the attack on the visitors' team bus in Lahore.
It was reported that the board and the security personnel demonstrated various things including the transportation of the players from the airport to the hotel, from the hotel to the ground and then back to the hotel.
Dickason, who termed the security as 'good as in any other country', will now submit his report to the board in the next seven days. Apart from the final, the PCB has also decided to host two qualifiers in Lahore, hoping to attract all the top players this time around, after a few pulled out of the final last season.