#WorldXI: Homecoming third time lucky

Zimbabwe toured Pakistan in May 2015; and it was the first international series in Pakistan since that dreadful terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in March 2009.

Many hoped this series would prove to be the icebreaker in terms of bringing international cricket back home, but, unfortunately, it failed to deliver the desired outcome and the idea of ‘cricket at home’ soon faded away. Pakistan as per usual kept on playing its home series away from home, hoping against hope that someday things will return back to normal.

During the second edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), earlier this year; Najam Sethi proposed to conduct the final of the PSL in Lahore. At that point it seemed to be far from reality. The question of ‘whether Pakistan was ready to embrace international cricket again’, echoed in everyone’s mind. Much to the relief of all stakeholders involved, the final was eventually played in Lahore, and it was an incident-free affair. It won’t be wrong to acknowledge the fact that the PSL final helped shape things for the extravaganza we witnessed this past week.

Fast forward to the last few overs of the final Pakistan-World XI T20: Hasan Ali is fielding inside the inner circle; suddenly he runs to the boundary to emulate his trademark ‘time bomb’ celebration; the crowd goes wild every time he gets close. He repeats the celebration quite a few times within the span of one over, casting a spell on the crowd with every move he makes and receiving the loudest of cheers. You remember how Sarfraz Ahmed was welcomed outside his house when he returned as the Champions Trophy winner, that kind of reception is what our players deserve on the field as well in their home country, in front of their own people. If someone told me a few months back that we’d be able to witness Hasan Ali (the architect of Pakistan’s success in the CT) in Pakistan’s colours in an international match in Pakistan, I would have discarded the thought right away. Here we are now, not just me, but all of us witnessed magic that was weaved by our local boys and the world XI stars alike.

The Pakistan team put on a spectacular show to win the Independence Cup 2-1. More than the victory, it was the impact of these three matches, which will be remembered forever. Two Pakistani legends were finally given their long overdue farewell. Misbah ul Haq and Boom Boom Afridi drove around the ground in a decorated rickshaw while the entire crowd chanted their names; the sense of pride on Misbah and Afridi’s face said it all.

The newly elected PCB chairman along with his team worked day in, day out to pull off this high-profile, talk-of-the-town World XI tour. The international players knew they were coming to Pakistan not just to play cricket but play their part in helping Pakistan bring cricket back home for good. This tour has paved way for another international match which will be played between Pakistan and Sri Lanka next month, followed by three more T20Is against the Windies in November. As per now, all these matches will be held in Lahore.

Lahore is known for its vibrancy, its people and its hospitality. The three T20Is in Lahore meant a lot of chaos in terms of traffic situation, businesses being shut down and security checks at every nook and corner. All of this didn’t dampen the spirits of Lahoris as they turned out in full force at the stadium. Not just Lahoris but people from all over the country didn’t want to miss out on witnessing this historic occasion. The enthusiasm beats the hassle the people have to go through, after all this is for the greater good. All of us want to see normal playing conditions in Pakistan, just how it was before March 2009. Things won’t change overnight but it is efforts like these which will make a difference. The entire theme behind hosting such events is to show the world that we are done being isolated; it’s high time we get our share of happiness.

The atmosphere at the Gaddafi stadium and the enthusiasm of the spectators was on another level, it took one match to build but the wait was worth it. The tickets were overpriced, and hard to get. The PCB chairman did admit after the first match that the pricing strategy had backfired. In the second match the fans came out in more numbers with much more energy. They got their money’s worth when the Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera won the match with a six. The final T20 was an almost a full house affair and the enthusiasm of the spectators ensured that it was a night to remember for a very, very long time.

There were young fans, new fans, old fans, hardcore fans, clueless fans, just here to support the cause. During the first match, I overheard, “Ayy Ben Cutting England da vay na?” which translates to “Ben Cutting is from England, right?” to “the keeper is de Kock”. In the third T20 I was sitting next to a father son duo, the son would not stop asking questions and the dad won’t stop with the explanations. The local perspective on each delivery being bowled, each shot being played, each move being made was such a treat to hear. That young boy will remember this experience for the rest of his life, he will have a story to narrate to his kids and hopefully this match won’t be the last time he made it to the stadium in his own country.

Nadeem is a sports writer based in Sialkot

Views of the author do not necessarily reflect the views or editorial policy of Geo News