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LAHORE: Peshawar Zalmi owner Javed Afridi has extended an official invitation to former captain Daren Sammy to attend the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 final, following strong fan demand after the former champions booked their place in the title decider.
Zalmi, led by Babar Azam, secured their spot in the final with a commanding win over Islamabad United in the Qualifier at the Gaddafi Stadium. The final is scheduled to take place at the same venue on Sunday.
Following the victory, fans flooded social media, urging Afridi to bring back Sammy, who famously led Zalmi to their maiden PSL title in 2017.
Responding to the calls, Afridi shared an Instagram story tagging the former West Indies skipper and inviting him to be part of the occasion.
“Brother, we are officially inviting you to witness the final match of Zalmi (fans request) @darensammy88,” Afridi wrote.
Daren Sammy remains one of the most iconic figures in Zalmi’s history, having been part of the franchise during its early years.
He captained the side for four seasons and played a key role in their 2017 title triumph, when they defeated Quetta Gladiators in the final.
Since that title-winning campaign, Zalmi have reached the final on three more occasions, in 2018, 2019 and 2021, but have fallen short each time in their quest for a second trophy.
However, the ongoing PSL 11 season has seen Zalmi return as one of the most dominant sides. They topped the league stage with eight wins, just one defeat and one no-result from 10 matches, finishing with 17 points and an impressive net run rate of 2.324.
Their win over Islamabad United marked their fifth appearance in a PSL final, and they will now face the winner of the second Eliminator, to be contested between Islamabad United and Hyderabad Kingsmen, in the grand finale.
