From bombs to trophies, cricket thrives in Peshawar

KARACHI: Peshawar won their second consecutive Twenty20 title this week with players and coaches hailing falling levels of violence for helping the sport prosper in the Taliban-plagued region.

 

The city of four million has been at the forefront of a rebellion that rose up more than a decade ago which seeks to topple the government and replace it with a hardline Islamic emirate.

For years, Taliban suicide bombers were able to strike almost at will as people feared leaving their homes even to go out shopping.

This photo taken on September 14, 2015 shows Peshawar cricket team opener Raffatullah Mohmand batting against Sialkot during the National T20 semi-final at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi. — AFP

But the situation has improved markedly since the government began major military offensives in the North Waziristan tribal district last year aimed at clearing Taliban and Al-Qaeda bases.

On Monday night, Peshawar defended their national T20 title in Rawalpindi, beating by seven wickets a star-studded Karachi side featuring national T20 captain Shahid Afridi and his deputy Sarfraz Ahmed.
Lahore and Karachi have been the country's traditional bases of cricketing power, with smaller towns and cities in prosperous Punjab province also supplying the national side in recent years.

For more detail    From bombs to trophies, cricket thrives in Peshawar

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