Cricket: day to remember

What a day this past Sunday was for Pakistan cricket! While the early hours of the day saw the historic arrival of Australian cricket team in Pakistan, after nearly a quarter of a century; the night witnessed a successful climax of the seventh edition of Pakistan Super League, the HBL PSL-7. Lahore Qalandars — after suffering years of failure, at times embarrassing and painful — defeated favourites Multan Sultans in the final by 42 runs in front of a capacity crowd at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.

Skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi accomplished what his so many predecessors — Azhar Ali, Dwayne Bravo, Brendon McCullum, Mohammad Hafeez, AB de Villiers, Fakhar Zaman and Sohail Akhtar — failed to do for Qalandars for six years. While Afridi led the Qalandars from the front — not just picking up key wickets on important occasions, but also exhibiting his great lofting skills with the bat in one of the games — others including Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Hafeez, Zaman Khan and David Wiese performed the assigned roles so very well.

HBL PSL is indeed going from strength to strength, immensely benefiting the game of cricket in the country in terms of honing local talent by providing them a big platform to perform; improving financial condition of players and others associated with the game; raising money to enhance cricketing facilities in the country; contributing to the national exchequer by generating revenues; building a soft image about Pakistan in the world; and last but not least attracting foreign players at a time of drought of international cricket in the country.

The fact that the PCB has managed to convince the Australian cricket team — which had last toured Pakistan in 1998 — for a full-fledged tour of the country featuring three Tests, three ODIs and one T20I has a lot to do with a peaceful, safe and secure organizing of the HBL PSL at home venues. Let us also thank the Australians for visiting Pakistan and welcome them with all the hospitality that a special guest deserves.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2022.

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