Cricket should be the winner, says Quetta's Morne van Wyk

LAHORE: Morne van Wyk, the former South African Twenty20 expert, hoped cricket would be the winner during the final of the Pakistan Super League on Sunday, saying he didn’t feel any security threat in the terror-hit country.

“I have no security fears here and am proud to be part of Quetta Gladiators,” van Wyk said in a video message. “I am excited to be back in Pakistan.

“The last time I was here was in 2003, when the Proteas came here and after the second ODI, Herschelle Gibbs was injured so I was called all the way from South Africa,” recalled van Wyk of the 2003 One-Day International series which South Africa won 3-2.

Van Wyk is here as a replacement player for Quetta for the final against Peshawar Zalmi.

Dashing wicketkeeper-batsman van Wyk, now 37, played 17 ODIs, besides featuring in eight Twenty20 Internationals in which he scored one century and a half-century.

He did not feature in the series in Pakistan but has fondest memories of the country.

“The most interesting thing from that tour was that I flew to Karachi at six in the morning and then went through Pakistan in a car with three people to reach Peshawar as there were no flight,” recalled van Wyk.

“That gave me a chance to see the country in a special way. It took me 12 hours to reach Peshawar. That is the fondest of memories. So I have got another chance to play in Pakistan and at the end of the day, I think cricket will be the winner once again.”

Rayad Emrit, the West Indian allrounder, expressed similar sentiments.

“I am excited to be here, the team is buzzing and I have no issues with security since I have arrived,” said Emrit, who played two ODIs for West Indies and is a regular feature in the Bangladesh Premier League and the Caribbean Premiere League.