INTERNATIONAL CRICKET RETURNS TO PAKISTAN

Sri Lankan cricket captain Thisara Perera shakes hands with Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Hafeez [Aamir Qureshi/Getty Images]

Lahore, Pakistan - The sense of excitement was palpable on this warm, smoggy evening as cricket fans queued for hours outside Gaddafi Stadium in Pakistan's Lahore.

Despite the long lines, people of all ages waited patiently for their security cards to be checked before entering the stadium to watch the highest-profile international cricket match in eight years.

In 2009, the convoy of the Sri Lankan national team was attacked by 12 gunmen in Lahore while heading to the stadium.

The attack left eight people dead and seven players wounded. Since then, no major Test-playing nation went to Pakistan due to security concerns. Zimbabwe briefly toured the country in 2015.

On Sunday, the returning Sri Lankan team received a hero's welcome - despite some of its major players pulling out of the match.

Government officials and cricket fans took to social media to thank the Sri Lanka players, while banners seen all across the city welcomed them to Lahore.

Inside the stadium, fans held posters and waved Sri Lankan flags as the teams entered the stadium.

The match took place against the backdrop of a large security operation. More than 10,000 security forces were deployed and Lahore was put on lockdown - all in order to prove that international cricket could once again be played in front Pakistan's passionate fans.

Pakistan scored a 36-run T20 victory over Sri Lanka, but this was a match where the result was only a small part of the equation.

Al Jazeera spoke to cricket enthusiasts and spectators about what the match meant to them and the country:

Ali Hamdani

I can't tell you how happy I am to be here.

I missed the last series here because I couldn't find a ticket to buy.

But it's like a dream come true seeing international cricket, back in Pakistan, with my own eyes.

It's finally here, the big moment.

I'm not a cricket fan, but I do believe in Pakistan.

I must say that all of Pakistan wasn't quite there over the last few years because cricket was missing.

But it's back. We're back in form. We're back in shape.

Special thanks to Sri Lanka - what awesome people you are. Because you've made us complete again.

Bless you for coming to Pakistan, and bless you for playing the champions game in a tough country, making us whole again.