It was fitting that the PSL final in Karachi was held on March 25 – at the 26th anniversary of Pakistan’s biggest cricketing triumph to date, the World Cup 1992. Cricket had started returning to Pakistan in 2015, when Zimbabwe toured Lahore. It did not do a great deal to convince the rest of the world that it is safe again to be playing cricket in Pakistan. The fanfare was not that great either. But the seeds had been sown.

The PSL, in terms of viewership, cricket quality, and fan following has been a resounding success in just three years. Last year, the final was brought to Lahore, and it indeed was a historic moment. But, that episode was mired with most high profile players opting out, and the slots were filled with relatively lesser known players. The outburst was massive. Some warranted some not so. Many were too outraged, and failed to see the bigger picture.

And the bigger picture soon followed last year, when a high profile World XI team visited Lahore. It was no small feat, and some of the players involved are believed to have played a vital role in convincing others to travel to Pakistan. All this while, the security situation in Pakistan has been on the mend, and credit goes to the government for the progress. The situation may be far from ideal – but the fact that it is now fathomable to hold cricket matches in Pakistan is no mean feat.

Come 2018 and the PSL had three knockout matches in Pakistan. Why did it matter more this time around and why has it believed to make more impact on the global scene? For one, the number and quality of foreign players touring Pakistan was much better. Secondly, Karachi was going to host a mega cricket event for the first time in nine long years.

Recall that the PCB had invited a lot of slack for not looking beyond Lahore. The fact that Karachi was announced as the venue last year, and that the authorities remained committed to the cause, is commendable. Three full houses in Pakistan are a timely reminder that Pakistan is still a cricket loving nation. There is arguably nothing that compares to cricket, when it is about a sense of nationalism and pride.

There is also the element of bigger and better crickonomy when cricket is played in Pakistan, rather than the deserts of the UAE. Hosting cricket in the UAE is an expensive proposition, and Pakistan has been doing that for nine years, playing the “home” games there. The gate money alone from three matches in Pakistan is believed to be more than the 30 odd matches played over a month in the UAE.

Granted, that hosting games in Pakistan comes with its own set of costs, of which security stands out. But making money from home games can be left to some other time, as long as the gradual process continues, even if it means added security costs.

Half the PSL matches are planned to be played in Pakistan next season, across Karachi, Lahore and Multan. Regardless of however successful the current events have been, there is no denying it takes exhaustive preparation and security rehearsal drills to make things fool proof. If the security situation keeps on improving at the current pace, half the problem will be taken care of. The other half could be painful for some, but it is a pain worth bearing.

Worth it, not because it brings some cricketers back, and may open avenues of money making. Worth it more because it puts Pakistan on the map again, for the right reasons. Security situation has been much better for the last 2-3 years, but the image building exercise has not matched the level of improved situation. Nothing does it better than cricket.

Don’t expect Pakistan to be playing “home” seasons at home anytime soon, but the direction is right. And the image building it promises to offer, is worth the wait and costs.