LAHORE, Pakistan: Lahore prepared to host the Pakistan Super League (PSL) cricket final on Sunday as Qaddafi Stadium turned into a fortress amid security fears.
The Punjab provincial government gave the go-ahead to the domestic Twenty20 match between Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators.
Doubts were raised over the eastern city of Lahore hosting the final when a wave of new attacks hit Pakistan last month. At least 13 people were killed in Lahore when a suicide bomber targeted police escorting a rally by pharmacists.
But the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hopes the final will be an opportunity to show it is safe to resume international cricket in the country.
Cricket-mad fans have welcomed the final being staged in Pakistan after all its league matches were organized in the UAE, where Pakistan’s national team also plays its home matches.
“It’s a super decision of PCB, I haven’t got the ticket for the final but even then I will cheer ... and watch the match on television at home,” said 18-year-old student Afaq Elahi.
The provincial government promised to provide more than 8,000 security personnel in and around the sports complex where Qaddafi Stadium is located and the teams’ route to the stadium.
Armed police and soldiers guarded the stadium on Saturday, which was off limits to even the media.
Pakistan has been a no-go zone for all major Test-playing nations for the last eight years since gunmen killed seven policemen in an attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009. Several players were injured.
Spectators will have to walk through at least three checkpoints before entering the stadium on Sunday. A temporary hospital of 25 beds was also established at a nearby hockey stadium in case of emergency.
The two finalist franchises have convinced foreign players, including West Indian Darren Sammy and Marlon Samuels, to travel to Pakistan.
Both West Indians were expected to fly in from Dubai late Saturday night along with England’s Chris Jordan and Dawid Malan as Peshawar’s four overseas players.
Last year’s finalist Quetta brought in five new foreign players — Morne van Wyk of South Africa, Anamul Haque of Bangladesh, Elton Chigumbura and Sean Ervine of Zimbabwe, and Rayad Emrit of the West Indies — after four key players declined to travel to Pakistan due to security fears.
Coach Moin Khan said that his team was still “hopeful” of winning the title despite the withdrawal of England’s Kevin Pietersen, Luke Wright and Tymal Mills along with South African Rilee Rossouw after Quetta qualified for the final by beating Peshawar Zalmi in the first playoff. Their overseas players are expected to arrive in Lahore.
At least three former Test cricketers — including Imran Khan and Javed Miandad — have criticized the PCB’s decision to bring the PSL final to Lahore.
Imran called it “madness” and warned that any incident could delay the return to Pakistan of international cricket for another 10 years.
Away from security concerns, Peshawar has lost its star attraction Shahid Afridi for the final. The flamboyant all-rounder injured his right hand while fielding during the knockout match against Karachi Kings in Dubai.
Stadium heavily guarded as Pakistan hosts cricket final
Stadium heavily guarded as Pakistan hosts cricket final
India rolls out strictest anti-pollution curbs as toxic smog engulfs Delhi
- Private monitors in several parts of northern Delhi recorded AQI spikes between 550 and 700s
- Authorities invoked stage four of the capital region’s emergency pollution-control framework
NEW DELHI: India’s capital choked under a thick blanket of smog on Sunday, with the government imposing anti-pollution curbs after monitoring stations in some areas recorded extremely hazardous air quality.
Home to 30 million people, Delhi has not recorded a single “clean air” day in 2025, with Air Quality Index readings hitting high above the 50 score throughout the year.
On the AQI scale from 0 to 500, good air quality is represented by levels below 50, while levels above 300 are dangerous.
Worsening since late October, official records over the weekend were in the severe to severe-plus range of 400–500, but as 24-hour averages, they did not capture the peaks. Private monitors in several parts of North and North West Delhi recorded AQI spikes above 550 and even into the 700s in real-time.
On Saturday evening, the Ministry of Environment’s Commission for Air Quality Management invoked stage four — the highest level — of the Graded Response Action Plan for Delhi and surrounding areas.
To “prevent further deterioration of air quality in the region,” the commission suspended all non-essential construction, shut stone crushers and mining operations, stopped entry of trucks into the capital region, and ordered schools to shift to hybrid classes or online, where possible.
While authorities blamed the pollution on “adverse meteorological conditions,” residents have been demanding more government action.
“The situation is so bad in Delhi that we don’t have any option but to force kids to do online classes. The government has failed us; it has not done anything to address the issue,” said Nabanita Nayak, who decided for her teenage children to attend school online only, despite concerns over their screen addiction.
“If the kids are too much in front of laptops, that’s also an issue. As a mother, I am worried.”
Delhi’s pollution has been worsening since Diwali in late October, when the average AQI has been above 370, or “very poor.” Since mid-November, it has been over 400, which means “severe” air quality, with certain areas recording 500 and above, which is classified as a “hazardous” level.
“I don’t feel proud living in Delhi. It’s the capital city of the country … We talk about being a developed nation by 2047 — we have deadlines,” said Jagriti Arora, who is keeping her 7-year-old daughter at home to prevent allergy flare-ups caused by air pollution.
“The government has to do something … China had a big problem with pollution, but now they’ve managed to bring it down.”
Delhi’s air quality deteriorates in winter due to local emissions and seasonal weather conditions. Cold temperatures and low wind speeds result in a temperature inversion, which traps pollutants close to the ground instead of letting them disperse. This allows emissions from millions of vehicles, ongoing construction, and nearby industrial activity to accumulate in the air. Urban waste burning and dust from construction sites further add to it.
“This is not a new thing. This has been happening now for over 10 years,” Arora said. “You can see it. You don’t need to actually look at an AQI meter to see how bad the pollution is these days.”
