CRICKET COME TO KARACHI: All the major cricketing events in attempt to bring cricket back to Pakistan were staged in Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, but now Karachi will also become a part of the mix with the PSL3 final in the National Stadium on Sunday. PHOTO COURTESY: PSL
After nearly 10 years, amidst high security and in the presence of a jam-packed crowd, Karachi will brace itself for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) third edition’s final on Sunday.
Out of the six franchises, Misbahul Haq-led Islamabad United and Darren Sammy’s Peshawar Zalmi have made it to the landmark moment where history will be written in more than one ways.
The return of international cricket since the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka team bus has been a big question for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and the recuperation process, which started with Zimbabwe becoming the first full-member team to visit the country in 2015, has now picked up serious pace.
Karachi holds its breath for today’s PSL final
All the major cricketing events were staged in Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, but now the cricket will return to Pakistan’s financial hub too with the epic final.
Meanwhile, on a cricketing note, both teams in the final — Islamabad and Peshawar — have won the first and second edition of the tournament, respectively. Thus, both will be vying in front of a nearly 35,000-strong crowd to win their second PSL title.
“I want cricket to be the winner. It has been over 10 years they’ve had any sort of major cricket [event] here. So far Karachi has been great and Lahore was great too, so I challenge Karachi to be greater,” said Sammy during a press conference at the National Stadium of Karachi on Saturday.
When asked how he feels to be in the second consecutive PSL final, he said: “We are pumped up. My team has shown some real character [to reach the final].”
Former West Indies captain, whose team had to win the last four matches to enter the final, was also hopeful that the last match of the PSL3 lives up to the hype. “We support good cricket. Hopefully both teams can put on a great show. But in the end, obviously, I want Peshawar to win.”
I still have 3-4 years of cricket left in me, says Kamran Akmal
On a personal note, Sammy said he wasn’t 100 per cent fit but would give anything to play in front of the Karachi crowd. “I am playing the same way I was playing [in the eliminator]. It is no secret that I am not 100 per cent fit.”
Meanwhile, Islamabad United all-rounder JP Duminy thanked the administration for the their tireless efforts in providing security to the foreign players.
“We were brought here with safety,” he told media in Karachi. “I am very grateful for the hard work happening behind the scenes.”
When asked if he is excited for the final, he replied: “There are a lot of youngsters in our team who haven’t played in a final before, so the excitement is there.”
The Akmal-Ronchi duel
Islamabad and Peshawar right now boast two of the most prolific hitters of the PSL3 — Luke Ronchi and Kamran Akmal, respectively.
When asked is Sammy has a plan for Ronchi, he said: “Kamran has been in form too. We respect the opposition. So far our bowlers have followed the plan that is why we are in the final. We do have a plan for Ronchi, but I can’t tell what they are.”
And when Duminy was asked what they’ll do to stop Kamran, he revealed: “We have to assess the conditions first. Try to understand where his strengths and weaknesses are. Also, everyone will have to adapt to the new conditions and whoever adapts the quickest will give themselves a better chance.”
Meanwhile, the PCB chairman Najam Sethi handed over the trophy to both the captains and was ecstatic that Karachi will be hosting a cricketing gala after nearly a decade.
“The city is sparkling. The world is watching that this is Pakistan,” said a smiling Sethi.
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