Accompanied by his wife Reham Khan and members of his Tehreek-e-Insaaf party, Imran was given a warm welcome by the PCB officials.
"It is great to see international cricket back in Pakistan after so many years," Imran told the media.
"I last watched the 1996 World Cup final here and now I am returning for this match as it is a big occasion for Pakistan cricket," he said.
As fate would have it Sami played on Sunday before another full house. He was also recalled to the Pakistan team for the first time since 2013.