West Indies players are treated like Kings in Pakistan, says Peshawar Zalmi owner Javed Afridi

The controversy of Darren Sammy alleging his ex-Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) teammates of racism is refusing to die down. The former West Indies captain recently revealed that he was being called ‘Kalu’ in the SRH camp during his stint with the franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2013. Other Caribbean stars Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo have also been vocal of the injustice against the black people.

And now Javed Afridi who is the owner of the PSL franchise Peshawar Zalmi has opened up on the matter stating that the West Indies cricketers are treated like Kings in his country. Many players from the Caribbean play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Afridi claims that the fans love and support these players as well. He also termed the likes of Gayle and Bravo among others as the match-winners too.

“West Indian stars like Sammy are treated like kings in Pakistan. They are naturally flamboyant players and are regarded as match-winners. Pakistani fans love to watch and support them, especially when they are playing in the PSL,” Javed Afridi said while speaking to The News on Wednesday.

Sammy is like a hero for Zalmi fans

Darren Sammy is like a local player for Pakistan fans. Rather he has played a major role in the return of top-flight cricket in the country. Moreover, he was also set to receive the Nishan-e-Pakistan, the country’s top civilian award, on March 23 in Islamabad this year. However, due to the pandemic, the PSL was called off without the knockouts being played and even this ceremony had to be postponed.

Interestingly, the idea of awarding the honorary citizenship to Sammy was initiated by Javed Afridi. Speaking about the cricketer, the Zalmi owner deserves all the accolades he gets in Pakistan. “Sammy is treated like a hero by Zalmi fans and he deserves it,” Afridi further said.

As for Sammy, he became Peshawar Zalmi’s coach this year mid-season after relinquishing the captaincy midway through the season. It remains to be seen if he returns to play the league or will continue to be the coach for the next season as well.