LAHORE: Most of the foreign cricket players participating in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and linked with three teams – Quetta Gladiators, Peshawar Zalmi, and Karachi Kings — arrived in Lahore on Tuesday.
As the PSL enters its final stage, cricket fever is running high across Pakistan.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is satisfied with the number of foreign players in Lahore and said it was a “good instrumental move” for the revival of international cricket in the country.
“The arrival of this big number of foreign cricketers will encourage the international teams to visit Pakistan. We will try to hold all PSL matches in our country next year,” PCB Media Director Amjad Bhatti told Arab News.
Peshawar Zalmi is missing its foreign player Dwayne Smith, while other international stars Darren Sammy, Liam Dawson, Evin Lewis, Andre Fletcher, Tamim Iqbal and Chris Jordan reached Lahore in the small hours of Tuesday.
Karachi Kings teammates Ravi Bopara, Tymal Mills, Joe Denly, David Wiese, Lendl Simmons and Colin Ingram were also on the same flight.
Quetta Gladiators, however, are missing one of their big players, Kevin Pietersen.
“It is with a heavy heart that I have to leave Dubai and go back to London,” Pietersen in a video message. “It is a family decision and I hope you will respect it.”
Other Quetta Gladiators players Rilee Rossouw, Chris Green, Mahmudullah and Thisara Perera, however, reached Pakistan to represent the team in a semifinal.
The people of Lahore are disappointed about the absence of a few star players from the tournament.
“As a passionate cricket fan, I feel bad that we won’t see Kevin Pietersen and Shane Watson in action on Pakistani soil, ” said Hamayion Zafar. “Most of my friends are KP’s fans. We had just bought tickets to watch him play in Lahore.”
Since Tuesday morning the weather in Lahore has been cloudy and the Met Office has said intermittent light showers will continue throughout the day, even at the time scheduled for play, but the traditional “braveheart” Lahorites are not deterred by that.
“The rain cannot stop us,” an excited Raghoo Bajwa told Arab News
The City District has hung banners to welcome international cricketers on roads around the city, especially Mall Road, Canal Bank, Gulberg and Ferozepur Roads.
Lahore will host the two PSL playoffs and the final will be in Karachi on March 25.
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