PSL final goes ahead with heavy security
LAHORE: Extraordinary security measures did not stop thousands of cricket-starved Pakistani fans from flocking to the Gaddafi Stadium as Quetta Gladiators won the toss and opted to field against Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League final on Sunday.
West Indies World Twenty20 winning captain Darren Sammy was among nine foreign cricketers to arrive in the eastern city of Lahore early Sunday as stringent security measures were put in place around the 25,000-capacity stadium.
Pakistan has not hosted a major Test-playing nation since 2009 when an attack on a Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore killed seven policemen and injured several Sri Lanka players.
Sammy, his fellow West Indian Marlon Samuels and England’s Chris Jordan were presented with Pakistani army caps as they walked around the stadium with players from both teams getting loud cheers from the capacity crowd. Sammy even obliged some of his fans, standing close to the fence and taking photos with them.
“The atmosphere is great and hopefully Peshawar comes out victorious,” Peshawar captain Sammy said after losing the toss for the Twenty20 match. “Hopefully we can entertain and cricket will be the winner.”
Earlier, thousands of spectators had started lining up in long queues to clear three checkpoints at least six hours before the final began.
“Even if we have to pass through a dozen security checkpoints we won’t mind,” said Mohammad Afzal, a smiling 25-year-old Peshawar fan.
A special shuttle bus service was put in place at two security checkpoints that carried spectators to the 14 entry gates.
Sammy is joined by England’s Dawid Malan and Jordan along with Samuels as Peshawar’s foreign players. However, Peshawar missed the flamboyant Shahid Afridi after the allrounder was ruled out from the final with an injury.
Last year’s finalist Quetta had to reshuffle its team because four of its foreign players declined to travel to Pakistan.
‘BALD’ PROMISE
Sammy even said that he and his entire team will shave their heads if they win the PSL final.
Sammy, who was speaking to Younis Khan in a video, asked the Pakistan Test legend whether he likes his bald head and beard.
After receiving the answer in the affirmative, Sammy bluntly said, “If Peshawar wins the final then all Zalmi players will shave their heads.”
Sammy went on to say that franchise owner Javed Afridi will also join the ‘bald army’.
The atmosphere is great and hopefully Peshawar comes out victorious. Hopefully we can entertain and cricket will be the winner. DARREN SAMMY, Peshawar skipper