St Moritz’s witnessed a special afternoon as legends of cricket rolled back the years to put up a spectacular show but this time on ice. Shahid Afridi-led Team Royals squared off against Virender Sehwag’s Badrutt’s Palace Diamonds in the first of the two encounters and it was the former Pakistan legend’s side who won the inaugural contest by six wickets. This was after the Diamonds batted first and set a target of 165 before the Royals cantered home, courtesy of a blistering 74 by Owais Shah.
There was Sehwag hitting those sixes at the backdrop of breathtaking Alpine range, Shahid Afridi's customary celebrations, Akhtar sledging Sehwag in jest -- every ingredient needed to make the event a success. The ground is basically the frozen St Moritz lake and the matting pitch fixed on a wooden plank. Pink ball is being used but as Sehwag wants at least T10 to be included in the Winter Olympics, it's still some way to go before it can even be considered a practical possibility. The biggest impediment is weather of sub-zero degree which forces every player to wear at least four to five layers of winter clothing, which impedes natural movements.
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