LAHORE: Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi clash in the final of the second edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL-2017) here on Sunday at the Gaddafi Stadium amid high-level security arrangements in the provincial capital.
The match starts at 08:00 PM Pakistan time, which corresponds to 07:00 PM Indian time, 04:00 GMT and 09:00 PM according to UAE time.
Prime Nawaz Sharif and Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa have assured VIP-level security arrangements for the teams which are normally reserved for state heads.
Pakistan Cricket Board has extended invitations to the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, all Governors, Chief Ministers and former legend cricketers to watch the match.
Around ten thousand police personnel will perform security duty for the final match. People are showing great enthusiasm for the long-awaited event.
It will be the highest-level game in Pakistan since a 2009 assault on the Sri Lanka team bus killed six people and wounded several players.
A capacity crowd of 25,000 is expected for Sunday´s final which starts at 20:00 local time (1500GMT). As well as foreign players, the final will boast West Indian great Viv Richards who is a mentor for the Quetta team.
Former Australian batsman Dean Jones, who was the head coach of Islamabad United in the tournament, is in Lahore as TV commentator.
Foreign players of Quetta Gladiators refused to play the final in Lahore citing security concerns. But on Saturday Quetta announced they had signed West Indian paceman Rayad Emrit, Bangladesh´s Anamul Haque, 37-year-old South African Morne van wyk and Zimbabwe´s Elton Chigumbura and Sean Ervine as replacements.
Zalmi players Dawid Malan, Marlon Samuels, Darren Sammy and Chris Jordan along with the Quetta Gladiators` Team Mentor Sir Viv Richards, Feilding Coach Julien Fountain and player Sean Ervine arrived in Lahore after midnight.
Star all-rounder Shahid Afridi was forced out of the final after he damaged his right hand during fielding in the play-off against Karachi Kings.
Peshawar Zalmi expected Squad
DJG Sammy*, TM Dilshan, ADS Fletcher, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imran Khan (1), CJ Jordan, Junaid Khan, Kamran Akmal, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Asghar, Mohammad Hafeez, EJG Morgan, SR Patel, MN Samuels, Shahid Afridi, Shakib Al Hasan, Sohaib Maqsood, Tamim Iqbal, Wahab Riaz.
Quetta Gladiators expected Squad
Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Umar Gul, Asad Shafiq, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Nawaz, Kevin Pietersen, Luke Wright, Rilee Rossouw, Mahmudullah Riyad, Anwar Ali, Tymal Mills, Hassan Khan, Nathan McCullum, Thisara Perera, Bismillah Khan, Mir Hamza, Zulfiqar Babar, Saad Nasim, Umar Amin, Noor Wali.
Moreover, Quetta Gladiators have selected five foreign players, including Anamul Haque (Bangladesh), Sean Ervine (Zimbabwe), Morne Van Wyk (South Africa), Elton Chigumbura (Zimbabwe) and Rayad Emrit (West Indies).