KARACHI: Four of Pakistan’s ICC Champions Trophy-winning squad members, including skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, were honoured by the Quetta Gladiators management at a glittering ceremony on Monday night.

Sarfraz along with Hasan Ali, a rising bowling star of Pakistan cricket who was declared player-of-the-tournament during the competition held in England last month, dashing opener Fakhar Zaman and pacer Rumman Raees Khan were presented with gold medallions and cash awards during the function held at a local hotel.

Also feted were Test batsman Asad Shafiq and discarded internationals Anwar Ali and Rameez Raja Jr in presence of a galaxy of notable personalities including the honourable Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair, who was the chief guest, squash legend Jahangir Khan as well as a number of ex-Pakistan cricketers, representatives of the sponsors besides some prominent political figures.

Recently retired Pakistan batting great Younis Khan was also honoured for becoming the country’s highest-scoring run-getter. The 39-year-old former Pakistan captain was decorated with a gold medal and a cash award for his meritorious services for the game.

Nadeem Omar, owner of PSL franchise Quetta Gladiators and managing director of Omar Associates, paid glowing tribute to all award winners.

“We are extremely happy to honour our cricketing heroes because they are ones who have made Pakistan proud. Jahangir, of course, is the king of all champions and a very humble person who is a role model for all of us while Younis too needs no introduction and his work ethics is something every sportsman should emulate,” Nadeem told the gathering. “Sarfraz is someone who is very close to me from a very young age. Leading Pakistan to Champions Trophy title is no mean achievement. Behind the scenes, we can all imagine the amount of pressure Sarfraz had to absorb because being the captain he had the most difficult task of keeping every [team member] together and get the best out of each individual.

“As we saw, Sarfraz’s never-say-die attitude lifted the team’s morale after the defeat against India in the first match. Fakhar, Hasan and Rumman along with rest of the bunch all played their part in Pakistan’s tremendous achievement and we should acknowledge them for bringing the nation together at a time when unfortunately, in our country there is a tendency of forgetting our sporting heroes.”

Younis, speaking briefly, lauded Sarfraz for his inspirational leadership while saying he had told him never to hold back anything that came into his thought. “As a senior player I was happy to see youngsters come to me for advice and Sarfraz is no exception. I used to tell not to go into a shell if he is confident that if there was a game-plan that he could implement without fear of failure. In that respect, I found Sarfraz a cricketer with great self-belief and this was proved during the Champions Trophy,” Younis observed.

Jahangir, in his speech, said: “I’m delighted at this function because cricket is another passion of mine. If I hadn’t taken up squash I would definitely been a cricketer. Being a world champion [Jahangir won 10 British Open and six World Open squash titles during a remarkable career] I know the feeling of a winner.

“These cricketers are talented bunch but they must keeping on working hard to maintain top form. Younis is one example of this because for 17 years, he trained and prepared himself to get where he has finished. Without dedication and devotion one cannot attain greatness in whatever field you belong to.”

Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair pointed out that by winning the Champions Trophy the cricketers have given no hope to the nation.

“This is a moment we must cherish and celebrate. Given the current scenario in the country, there is less to cheer about. But our cricketers have brought joy on the faces of the masses. We pray that Sarfraz and his team continues to bring further laurels for Pakistan and this, I hope, is just the beginning,” the honourable governor said.

Sarfraz, in his address, thanked Nadeem and Azam Khan, secretary of KCCA Zone-VI’s Pakistan Cricket Club, for playing a huge role in building his cricketing career. “This is a journey that began a long time ago when I was just a beginner. Both Nadeem and Azam have been the real inspiration who were instrumental in the development years of my career. Without them, I won’t have not come this far. I have no words to say except that I owe them everything I have achieved in my life.”

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen and Luke Wright, who both play for Quetta Gladiators, along with Pakistan opener Azhar Ali, also paid tribute to Sarfraz and the Quetta team management through video messages.

The programme was conducted by PTV Sports head Dr Nauman Niaz and well-known PTV anchor Sidra Iqbal.

Late into the night renowned singer Faakhir Mehmood entertained the large audience with selected numbers from his collection, including the Quetta Gladiators team’s theme song Chaa Jaaye Quetta.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2017