Pakistan erupts in celebration of a feel-good victory
LAHORE: The bus driver who drove Sri Lankan players and officials to safety at the Gaddafi Stadium here on March 3 when a terrorist attack on the bus left six policemen dead, led the chorus that hailed Pakistan’s victory over Sri Lanka in the ICC World Twenty20 final at Lord’s in London on Sunday.
“We desperately needed this victory because there's so much happening around our country,’ Mohammad Khalil told news TV channel, waving the National flag after he watched the match live on a big screen with hundreds of other supporters in Lahore.
“Sri Lanka is our friend and it will remain our friend but I wanted Pakistan to win the match,” Khalil said.
Former Pakistan captain and member of the 1992 World Cup winning squad Ramiz Raja rated Sunday's victory as more important than the one against England in Melbourne 17 years ago. “It's a major turnaround in a sense that over the last six to eight months whatever has happened in Pakistan it has sent wrong messages,” Ramiz Raja said. “Nobody was rating this team but the way they have made a comeback there's no example in our sporting history.”
Another former captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq, gave the credit to Pakistan bowlers. “I think bowlers play vital role in winning the tournament. Umar Gul, Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal bowled superbly throughout,” he said. “It's our second biggest achievement since winning the 1992 World Cup.”
Pakistan Cricket Board Director General Javed Miandad paid tribute to the team spirit. “We are always slow starters, but once the team started playing as a unit, I knew it would go all the way and lift the World Cup,’ Miandad said. ‘It's a great achievement.’
“We desperately needed this victory because there's so much happening around our country,’ Mohammad Khalil told news TV channel, waving the National flag after he watched the match live on a big screen with hundreds of other supporters in Lahore.
“Sri Lanka is our friend and it will remain our friend but I wanted Pakistan to win the match,” Khalil said.
Former Pakistan captain and member of the 1992 World Cup winning squad Ramiz Raja rated Sunday's victory as more important than the one against England in Melbourne 17 years ago. “It's a major turnaround in a sense that over the last six to eight months whatever has happened in Pakistan it has sent wrong messages,” Ramiz Raja said. “Nobody was rating this team but the way they have made a comeback there's no example in our sporting history.”
Another former captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq, gave the credit to Pakistan bowlers. “I think bowlers play vital role in winning the tournament. Umar Gul, Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal bowled superbly throughout,” he said. “It's our second biggest achievement since winning the 1992 World Cup.”
Pakistan Cricket Board Director General Javed Miandad paid tribute to the team spirit. “We are always slow starters, but once the team started playing as a unit, I knew it would go all the way and lift the World Cup,’ Miandad said. ‘It's a great achievement.’
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