DUBAI: Peshawar Zalmi captain Darren Sammy who led his team to the final of PSL second edition after beating Karachi by 24 runs here on Friday, said the reason behind his team’s success is the belief that Zalmi is not just a cricket brand but its a family where the team mates enjoy each other’s company, both on and off the field.

“I believe from day one that Peshawar Zalmi is not just a cricket brand but it is like a family and the stuff we do outside like working for Shahid Afridi foundation is really good and it unites us and makes us feel part of one family.”

Sammy, who twice led the West Indies to T20 World Cup titles, is known for his blunt and cool attitude and believes that Peshawar Zalmi gets the motivation to do well in tough situations because of the fans and their support. “Zalmi has a lot of fans who want us to do well, so as a team whenever we get to play we enjoy, entertain, perform and at the end of the day the results come.”

Sammy is hopeful to win the final against last year’s finalists Quetta Gladiators on Sunday and revealed his strategy for the big game.

“We enjoy playing our cricket and the players we have in the dressing room are equally capable to play against any team and we believe in ourselves. T20 is always about executing the plans well and that’s what we do as a team.”

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2017