Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani has confirmed that the International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Shashank Manohar has refused to visit Karachi to witness the Habib Bank Limited (HBL) Pakistan Super League (PSL) final on March 17.

Talking to media at the National Stadium Karachi, the Chairman said, “Manohar has refused to visit Pakistan to watch the finale of the tournament citing personal engagements.”

“However, ICC Chief Executive David Richardson will be arriving in Karachi to watch the game,” said Mani.

Earlier, PCB had invited all ICC board members, including Indian counterparts to watch the final in the mega city. The main motive to invite senior officials from other boards is so that they can witness the security situation in the country themselves.

Sources from inside the board reported that there is no chance that the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Amitabh Choudhary would be coming to Pakistan.

The board is expecting a visit of officials from Afghanistan, England, Ireland, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Furthermore, he said, "Karachi should be proud to host eight matches of the tournament."

"The success of PSL in Karachi will change the thoughts of people around the world that Pakistan is safe for sports," the Chairman said. 

Commenting on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrival in Karachi, he said, "it is too early to say anything about it."