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Doha, Qatar – For taxi driver Mohammad Siyad, watching his favorite cricketers within the flesh was a dream come true.
Siyad was amongst practically 7,000 followers who gathered on the Asian City Cricket Stadium on Monday to observe the ultimate of the Legends League Cricket (LLC) Twenty20 match that featured former greats like Shahid Afridi, Jaques Kallis, Ross Taylor and Misbah ul-Haq.
“I had by no means imagined I’d be seeing so many legends in particular person,” the Sri Lankan nationwide informed Al Jazeera on the stadium in a working-class neighbourhood outdoors the Qatari capital, Doha.
The ten-day match, the second of its sort after the inaugural model in Oman final 12 months, featured three groups – the India Maharajas, the Asia Lions and the World Giants, that includes cricketers from the remainder of the world.
The occasion, the place retired cricketing legends come again to play aggressive cricket, additionally introduced loads of cheer and triggered outdated reminiscences for the practically 1.3 million cricket-crazy South Asian diaspora within the Gulf state.
“I’ve grown seeing these males play on TV. To see them in flesh and blood now could be so very thrilling,” stated Siyad as he waved a Sri Lankan flag.
Title conflict
The Sri Lankans had loads to cheer about in the course of the ultimate between the Asia Lions – led by the enduring Pakistani cricketer Afridi – and the World Giants, with Australia’s Shane Watson as its captain.
Batting first, the Giants, pummelled by some sharp bowling by Pakistan’s Abdur Razzak and Afridi, managed to put up simply 147 – a modest goal in a T20 sport.
In reply, Sri Lanka’s opening pair of Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan delivered a deal with for the spectators, hitting the opposition bowlers – led by the likes of Australian paceman Brett Lee – everywhere in the floor.
Building employee Subhash Nishantha, 47, couldn’t comprise his pleasure as he ran throughout the aisle holding two tiny plastic Sri Lankan flags.
“I’m right here to get pleasure from,” he stated.
Tharanga and Dilshan ended up scoring 115 for the opening wicket, each scoring half-centuries within the course of and making the chase a breeze for the Lions on the best way to the title.
“I final performed worldwide cricket in 2015, so it has been some time,” stated Tharanga as he was declared the “Legend of the Match” for scoring essentially the most runs. He hit three 50s within the 4 video games he performed.
Most Pakistanis within the crowd wished to observe their hero Afridi bat. Whereas his crew’s authority on the sector meant Afridi was not wanted with the bat, loud cheers of “Lala, lala” – because the cricketer is fondly known as in Pakistan – greeted him on the sector within the first innings.
He would typically wave again with a smile.
“I hope to return again subsequent 12 months. Earlier than that, I want some extra coaching,” he stated after the sport.
The lacking ‘Maharajas’
Twenty20 cricket is the place the “gentleman’s sport” meets the market. India, with a inhabitants of 1.3 billion, is the sport’s greatest market. It was no shock, due to this fact, that India influenced the best way the sport was performed on the Asian City Cricket Stadium.
The most recent songs from the Indian movie business punctuated each over – generally each ball – or when a boundary was hit or a batter was dismissed.
A gaggle of followers – wearing all yellow – from the southern Indian state of Kerala performed drums all through the sport, including to the cheer regardless of the absence of Indian cricketers on the sector.
On Saturday, the India Maharajas have been eradicated from the occasion by the Asia Lions, regardless of captain Gautam Gambhir main from the entrance and a few gorgeous catches by Mohammad Kaif, who, at 46, nonetheless defies gravity by his health.
Khursheed Mohammad Zahiruddin, a truck driver in Qatar, stated whereas he missed his favorite crew, he was there for the love of the sport.
“Perhaps they may return subsequent 12 months,” the 35-year-old informed Al Jazeera.
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