"The fight we showed as a team throughout the tournament is really fantastic" - Shaheen Afridi lauds fighting spirit of PSL winners Lahore Qalandars

Shaheen Afridi has opined that the 'attitude to fight till the last ball' propelled Lahore Qalandars to their maiden PSL title on Sunday, February 27.

The Qalandars, who came close to winning the title two seasons ago, went the distance in stunning fashion on Sunday. Afridi and co. beat Mohammad Rizwan-led Multan Sultans comprehensively by 42 runs.

The route to glory hasn't been easy for the Qalandars. They finished last in the first four seasons before finishing in the penultimate spot last year. Despite multiple heartbreaks over the years, Lahore fans stuck by team's side, and their support was finally vindicated on Sunday.

A jubilant Afridi did not forget to pay his gratitude towards fans for turning out in large numbers every year, saying:

"It's a great achievement. We have been waiting for 6 years, and I want to thank the Lahore crowd. They have come out in numbers and supported us throughout," said Afridi in a post-game presentation party.

Afridi also expressed his gratitude towards the senior players for guiding him during pressure moments, especially Mohammad Hafeez.

"A lot of people supported me; Hafeez guided me during a lot of pressure moments; so thanks to all who supported me. The fight we showed as a team throughout the tournament is really fantastic, and we had that attitude to fight till the last ball," Afridi added.

Meanwhile, Hafeez, the veteran all-rounder, saved his best for last, smashing a whirlwind 46-ball 69 with the help of nine fours and one six. The 41-year-old also shone with the ball, giving away only 23 runs in four overs while claiming the scalps of Rizwan and Aamer Azmat.

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Lahore Qalandars clinch PSL 07 in style

Lahore did not have a particularly good start to the final, as they lost three wickets in the powerplay, including that of the in-form Fakhar Zaman. However, Hafeez, along with Harry Brook and the hero of the semi-final, David Wiese, resurrected the innings.

While Brook hammered an excellent 41* off 22 deliveries, Wiese did an encore of his exploits in the semi-final, scoring an unbeaten 28 off only eight deliveries.

Chasing 181, Multan never looked like getting anywhere close after they lost their in-form openers Rizwan and Shan Masood cheaply. Zaman made up for his failure with the bat courtesy of a sensational run-out of Masood, while Hafeez got rid of the Multan captain Rizwan.

Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf got rid of the dangerous-looking duo of Tim David and Khushdil Shah. Wiese then sealed the deal with the wicket of Imran Tahir in the last over to trigger massive celebrations in the Qalandars' camp.