Daily Times

LAHORE: Cricket lovers, including children, adults and elderly people, have thanked Sri Lankan Cricket Board for sending their cricket team to Lahore after a hiatus of eight years for the third and final T-20 match against Pakistan.

The third T-20 match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium amid tight security cover provided by army, Rangers, police and law enforcement agencies.

Sunday morning brought bright and smile on the faces of the people and cricket lovers who were too much excited to see the live performance of Sri Lankan cricket players.

The Sri Lanka team’s visit comes eight years after a terrorist attack on the bus carrying players to the Gaddafi Stadium shut the doors on international cricket in Pakistan. Given the excitement of Lahoris and a massive turnout of spectators, gates of the stadium were opened three hours prior to the start of the match. Spectators were seen donning t-shirts emblazoned with the colours of the national flag to celebrate the revival of cricket. A number of spectators were also holding portraits of Sri Lankan team players, welcoming them in Pakistan.

People were of the view that the revival of the international cricket in Pakistan was a step forward towards eradication of terrorism. They appreciated the Sri Lankan team for defying fear and defeating terrorists’ mindset.

Talking to Daily Times, Hafiz Qaiser, a cricket lover, said he had come to the stadium along with his family to tell terrorist that the brave people of Pakistan wont’ bow before them.

Another cricket lover, Yasir Arfat, said that cricket could project soft image of Pakistan across the world and indeed Sri Lankan team’s arrival in Pakistan after eight years was highly appreciated. “We welcome our guest whole heartedly. I hope that they will enjoy their stay in our country like other international teams who had recently played in Pakistan and shared their pleasant experience with the world.”

Published in Daily Times, October 30^th 2017.