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Peshawar Zalmi brings passion to game
Javed Afridi, a well-known personality in cricket fraternity, has the passion for the game and hasplayed a pivotal role in reviving cricket in Pakistan
- PUBLISHED: Fri 14 Aug 2020, 10:39 PM UPDATED: Thu 2 Feb 2023, 4:00 PM
Peshawar Zalmi is one the leading teams in Pakistan Super League. The franchise has become an international brand and has branches all over the world.
The team is owned by Javed Afridi, a renowned businessman from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Peshawar Zalmi was established in 2015 following the announcement of the inaugural PSL by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). PCB's then chairman Najam Sethi took a brave decision to start the PSL which was held in the UAE. The next three editions were also staged in the UAE due to the security situation in Pakistan.
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The semifinals and final of the 2017 edition were held in Pakistan and Zalmi won the title under the captaincy of Darren Sammy. Zalmi has reached the finals of the PSL thrice in five seasons.
Javed, a well-known personality in cricket fraternity, has the passion for the game and has played a pivotal role in reviving cricket in Pakistan.
Javed has started a number of events to develop cricket at the grass-roots level in Pakistan. Zalmi has given Pakistan a number of talented cricketers in recent years. Hasan Ali, a key figure in Pakistan's Champions Trophy victory over India in the final in 2017, is the product of Zalmi. Upcoming batsman Haider Ali is tipped as a new sensation in Pakistan's limited over cricket, was also introduced by Zalmi. Haider has played a key role Zalmi's 2020 PSL campaign which earned him a place in Pakistan's T20 squad.
While talking to Khaleej Times, Javed said: "One of the main goals of Peshawar Zalmi as a sporting entity is to find raw talent and polish them for Pakistan's national team. We have held multiple talent-hunt programmes and organised cricket leagues on various levels to spot talented youngsters.
"Recently, we have launched Zalmi Camp which is an opportunity for talented cricketers to get themselves noticed by the Zalmi coaching panel and get a chance to play for Zalmi."
The UAE has been Pakistan's home ground for many years as four of the five PSL editions were held here successfully
"It was a great experience for us, our players as well as our partners. We found the UAE government and Emirates Cricket Board very hospitable and cooperative as they provided us the best environment to play the game. We have played at Sharjah, Dubai an Abu Dhabi and saw overwhelming support from expatriate community (especially Pakistanis) who turned up in huge numbers making us feel at home," Javed added.
Zalmi is the most popular T20 side in Pakistan and wherever they play, they attract huge crowds. The army of their fans from Peshawar also travels with them.
Javed has been trying his best to bring cricket to Peshawar and there was a good news as the PCB chairman Ehsan Mani announced in February this year that PSL matches will be held at the Arbab Niaz Stadium.
Javed said: "As franchises, we always want to play at home and this is big news for all the stakeholders.
"We brought Darren Sammy to Peshawar on our kit launch ceremony and InshAllah next year all the teams will come to play in Peshawar.
"Peshawar is known for its hospitality and the people are enthusiastic about cricket. So, for a city which hasn't witnessed the game at the highest level for years for various reasons, it is something to look forward to," he added.
Multan Sultans played all their matches at the home ground Multan Stadium. It was a good addition and facilities were second to none and the crowd responded in style. Sultans were tipped to lift the trophy when the PSL was postponed due to Covid-19. The PSL in Pakistan was a huge success. With four matches still remaining, the PCB has plans to host the last-leg later this year.
The fans of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are waiting for the PSL to come to Peshawar and it is going to be an event keeping in mind the enthusiasm and passion of the residents.
The province has suffered the menace of terrorism in the past decade and now the life has returned to normal.
Quetta Gladiators, the current champions might be next team to play in front of their fans. The cities like Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujranwala and Hyderabad also deserve to host matches in near future because they all have the necessary infrastructure.
liaqat@khaleejtimes.com