March 29, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 20, 1429

LAHORE, March 28: Passion never dies, they say and former prime minister and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif proved it by reaching Bagh-i-Jinnah on Friday to play cricket, the favourite sport he has been playing even as chief minister and prime minister.

Sharif reached the ground without any prior schedule and without any security.

Naushad Hameed, an official of a private party office of former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, told Dawn that the former prime minister reached the Ram Gali area on Brandreth Road where he was chief guest at a school’s ceremony.

On his return, the PML-N leader headed for Bagh-i-Jinnah without informing anyone about his destination, he added.

Reaching the ground, Hameed said, the boys playing there cricket requested Sharif to join them. Initially, Sharif was reluctant for he was not in the kit, as he was wearing shalwar kameez with waistcoat.

When the boys kept on insisting, Sharif joined them and batted for about 20 minutes. Later, he also bowled a couple of over.

Sharif played in a side match against West Indies back in mid-80s when he was the Punjab chief minister. The West Indies, then known as ‘kali aandhi’ (black storm), bowlers had been requested to be careful while bowling lest the provincial chief executive got injured. However, he was bowled out at the very first ball.—Amjad Mahmood