Abdullah719
T20I Captain
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2013
- Runs
- 44,825
Writing for Sky Sports, Saj Sadiq reviews the historic PSL final held at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore as foreign cricketers returned to the cricket-mad nation.
While it is a given that the average Pakistani is never short of a word or two on any topic, such was the emotional power of the events of March 5 2017 in Lahore that it left many of them speechless and incapable of describing their feelings.
This was the day when the Pakistan Super League, after days of being played in the desert emirates of the UAE, finally arrived home to its natural birthplace.
A packed and spruced-up Gaddafi Stadium bore witness to one of Pakistan's most important sporting events in recent history as the final of the PSL unfolded in front of almost 27,000 jubilant supporters in the ground, with millions more watching on their television screens across the world.
While the game itself turned out to be rather one-sided as the much stronger Peshawar Zalmi defeated Quetta Gladiators by 58 runs, what really stole the show was the build-up to the event including how the cricket-mad city of Lahore, and indeed most of Pakistan, reacted and prepared itself to welcome cricket of this scale back into their midst.
Lahore, a bustling city of more than 18 million inhabitants, had recently undergone pain and heartache in the shape of terror attacks which seemed to threaten the daily life of the locals.
In this atmosphere of fear, concern and danger, the thought of holding a cricket match, and that too the final of Pakistan's own version of the hugely popular Twenty20 format, was considered nothing short of a huge risk by many.
In addition, there was no denying that the memories of the sad events of March 3 2009 when the touring Sri Lanka team came under attack in the very same city of Lahore continue to haunt Pakistanis.
The self-doubt, possibly induced by years of living under the threat of terror and reinforced by the recent attacks was one that most Pakistanis had to battle through in their minds before they could wholeheartedly celebrate the return of top quality cricket to their own international cricket-starved soil.
The intensity of public debate on whether it was wise to hold an event of this magnitude would have made any democracy proud. It did not matter what profession or social strata one belonged to, the opinions on the impending final in Lahore was the topic of the day, all day.
To many, such as legendary Pakistan all-rounder Imran Khan, the very thought of asking foreign cricketers to come to Lahore at this time was akin to madness with the risk of another attack, however insignificant, setting back for decades any plans for future proper international tours of Pakistan.
The critics also argued about the kind of message thousands of security forces guarding players would send to the world and whether the whole exercise was driven by political pressures alone.
To be fair to the Pakistan Super League management, they had made known their intentions to hold the final in Pakistan well in advance. The seeds of hope had been planted in the minds of millions of Pakistani cricket fans who had been starved of watching quality cricket on their home grounds.
The idea, as unlikely as it was, of watching top tier local and overseas cricketers perform in the fast paced T20 format on their home soil caught the imagination of millions like wildfire. For many years, Pakistan fans had watched their neighbours with envy as the Indian Premier League took off to become a matter of national pride.
To have a league of their own, played in their country did not require a hard-sell. Yes, there would be inconveniences such as extra-ordinary security measures like road closures and check-points for the locals, but the sight of some of their favourite cricketers plying their trade in Pakistan, instead of appearing on television screens in the UAE, was enough to convince even the most cynical supporters.
The city of Lahore on Sunday wore the look of a city rejuvenated. The pain of the recent weeks and months forgotten and parked away as Lahorites young and old came out excitedly to welcome cricket back to their own backyard.
Lahore's historical landmarks from Rudyard Kipling's Kim's gun to the Badhshahi mosque and the Shalimar gardens were lit up in pretty colours. All arguments for and against the final being held in Lahore were put to rest. It was time for Pakistan to get together to sit and enjoy.
It did not matter if you couldn't tell Darren Sammy from Marlon Samuels or if you thought Wahab Riaz was a spin bowler, or that the idea of a strategic timeout seemed crazy; it was a time to enjoy the occasion and the Pakistanis at the ground and in their living rooms celebrated like it was the festival of Eid.
Lahore danced, Lahore sang, Lahore forgot about all its troubles for a day.
Many had predicted a sobering return to reality once the handful of foreign players had left the country and Lahore and Pakistan returned to their normal selves. The common belief being that the status quo of Pakistan as a "no go" destination for international teams would persist.
The foreign players who made the journey to Pakistan after guarantees of presidential-level safety would board their flights with some polite remarks about Pakistan, how much they enjoyed their stay and how they admired its people.
There is no denying the fact that holding the PSL final in Pakistan will not result in an overnight restoration of international tours to Pakistan, but the event has given a huge boost to the chances of that happening at some point in the future.
The news that Giles Clarke, impressed by the security arrangements during the PSL final, is now promising a tour of an international XI in September cannot be taken lightly. Such an offer a few weeks ago, would have been unimaginable.
It will obviously take more than one match of such importance to re-establish faith in Pakistan as a safe destination for the top teams of the world, but if the events of a colourful and vibrant Sunday night are any indicators, the return of international cricket to Pakistani shores may not be such a distant dream.
http://www.skysports.com/cricket/ne...successful-psl-final-following-security-fears
While it is a given that the average Pakistani is never short of a word or two on any topic, such was the emotional power of the events of March 5 2017 in Lahore that it left many of them speechless and incapable of describing their feelings.
This was the day when the Pakistan Super League, after days of being played in the desert emirates of the UAE, finally arrived home to its natural birthplace.
A packed and spruced-up Gaddafi Stadium bore witness to one of Pakistan's most important sporting events in recent history as the final of the PSL unfolded in front of almost 27,000 jubilant supporters in the ground, with millions more watching on their television screens across the world.
While the game itself turned out to be rather one-sided as the much stronger Peshawar Zalmi defeated Quetta Gladiators by 58 runs, what really stole the show was the build-up to the event including how the cricket-mad city of Lahore, and indeed most of Pakistan, reacted and prepared itself to welcome cricket of this scale back into their midst.
Lahore, a bustling city of more than 18 million inhabitants, had recently undergone pain and heartache in the shape of terror attacks which seemed to threaten the daily life of the locals.
In this atmosphere of fear, concern and danger, the thought of holding a cricket match, and that too the final of Pakistan's own version of the hugely popular Twenty20 format, was considered nothing short of a huge risk by many.
In addition, there was no denying that the memories of the sad events of March 3 2009 when the touring Sri Lanka team came under attack in the very same city of Lahore continue to haunt Pakistanis.
The self-doubt, possibly induced by years of living under the threat of terror and reinforced by the recent attacks was one that most Pakistanis had to battle through in their minds before they could wholeheartedly celebrate the return of top quality cricket to their own international cricket-starved soil.
The intensity of public debate on whether it was wise to hold an event of this magnitude would have made any democracy proud. It did not matter what profession or social strata one belonged to, the opinions on the impending final in Lahore was the topic of the day, all day.
To many, such as legendary Pakistan all-rounder Imran Khan, the very thought of asking foreign cricketers to come to Lahore at this time was akin to madness with the risk of another attack, however insignificant, setting back for decades any plans for future proper international tours of Pakistan.
The critics also argued about the kind of message thousands of security forces guarding players would send to the world and whether the whole exercise was driven by political pressures alone.
To be fair to the Pakistan Super League management, they had made known their intentions to hold the final in Pakistan well in advance. The seeds of hope had been planted in the minds of millions of Pakistani cricket fans who had been starved of watching quality cricket on their home grounds.
The idea, as unlikely as it was, of watching top tier local and overseas cricketers perform in the fast paced T20 format on their home soil caught the imagination of millions like wildfire. For many years, Pakistan fans had watched their neighbours with envy as the Indian Premier League took off to become a matter of national pride.
To have a league of their own, played in their country did not require a hard-sell. Yes, there would be inconveniences such as extra-ordinary security measures like road closures and check-points for the locals, but the sight of some of their favourite cricketers plying their trade in Pakistan, instead of appearing on television screens in the UAE, was enough to convince even the most cynical supporters.
The city of Lahore on Sunday wore the look of a city rejuvenated. The pain of the recent weeks and months forgotten and parked away as Lahorites young and old came out excitedly to welcome cricket back to their own backyard.
Lahore's historical landmarks from Rudyard Kipling's Kim's gun to the Badhshahi mosque and the Shalimar gardens were lit up in pretty colours. All arguments for and against the final being held in Lahore were put to rest. It was time for Pakistan to get together to sit and enjoy.
It did not matter if you couldn't tell Darren Sammy from Marlon Samuels or if you thought Wahab Riaz was a spin bowler, or that the idea of a strategic timeout seemed crazy; it was a time to enjoy the occasion and the Pakistanis at the ground and in their living rooms celebrated like it was the festival of Eid.
Lahore danced, Lahore sang, Lahore forgot about all its troubles for a day.
Many had predicted a sobering return to reality once the handful of foreign players had left the country and Lahore and Pakistan returned to their normal selves. The common belief being that the status quo of Pakistan as a "no go" destination for international teams would persist.
The foreign players who made the journey to Pakistan after guarantees of presidential-level safety would board their flights with some polite remarks about Pakistan, how much they enjoyed their stay and how they admired its people.
There is no denying the fact that holding the PSL final in Pakistan will not result in an overnight restoration of international tours to Pakistan, but the event has given a huge boost to the chances of that happening at some point in the future.
The news that Giles Clarke, impressed by the security arrangements during the PSL final, is now promising a tour of an international XI in September cannot be taken lightly. Such an offer a few weeks ago, would have been unimaginable.
It will obviously take more than one match of such importance to re-establish faith in Pakistan as a safe destination for the top teams of the world, but if the events of a colourful and vibrant Sunday night are any indicators, the return of international cricket to Pakistani shores may not be such a distant dream.
http://www.skysports.com/cricket/ne...successful-psl-final-following-security-fears
