No Champions Trophy final deals one last blow to hosts Pakistan

Pakistan cricket fans and former players seethed Wednesday after the host countrys already disappointing Champions Trophy suffered one last blow no final Its totally unfair said Moeed Ali Khan a private car driver outside Lahores Gaddafi Stadium to watch the second semifinal between South Africa and New Zealand I am disgusted neither our team is in the final nor is the final in Pakistan Pakistan celebrated on February 19 when the country began staging its first major international cricket tournament in three decades But it was all downhill after that The hosts lost the opening match to New Zealand and their title defence was over with a comprehensive defeat to archrivals India Their deadrubber final group match against Bangladesh was washed out This Sundays final was scheduled for Lahore but with one big caveat not if India reached the title decider By defeating Australia in the first semifinal on Tuesday India did just that India have played all their games including the Australia clash in Dubai after refusing to visit neighbouring Pakistan because of political tensions The final will also be at Dubai International Cricket Stadium Pakistan only agreed to the socalled hybrid model of hosting on the condition that they will also not send their team to India for upcoming ICC events The arrangement which saw other teams shuttle in and out of the UAE while India stayed put underlined Indias outsized influence over cricket We accepted this arrangement so what is the fuss asked Abdul Samad a cricket fan When you do not have power you have to bow down and this is the bargain Pakistan had to do No regrets for me Our team and our cricket is lagging behind so we had to make a compromiseOthers in Pakistan are not so pragmatic No final in Pakistan after such a heavy investment on the venues is a blow former captain Rashid Latif told AFP Pakistan is at the lowest level in terms of finances and teamwise as well which is a double loss Pakistan reportedly spent the equivalent of 16 million dollars to upgrade the three venues in Lahore Karachi and Rawalpindi The country will reportedly get six million dollars in hosting fees from the ICC But finances could be hit with the lack of interest in the 50over tournament after the home teams early exit Three of the matches in Pakistan were hit by bad weather and empty seats at games were noticeable India have improved enormously and that has been evident in this event said Latif reflecting on what has happened on the pitch But I think politics has lowered the cricket a great deal He added I think had they come to Pakistan and lifted the trophy in Lahore it would have been great Latif says the repercussions of the split hosting will last beyond the Champions Trophy This problem of one team not coming to another country and in future Pakistan not going to India will hit world cricket badly he said It needs to be addressed quicklyWith AFP inputs