Captains ready to dazzle in remaining PSL matches

KARACHI: Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Wahab Riaz and Sohail Akhtar said on Thursday they were keen for their sides Karachi Kings, Islamabad United, Peshawar Zalmi and Lahore Qalandars to grab the top spot in the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) in Abu Dhabi.

Mohammad Rizwan and Sarfraz Ahmed, captains of Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators, respectively, said they would fight hard to earn play-offs spot.

Karachi Kings captain Imad Wasim said: “The HBL PSL 6 restart is great news for both the players and the fans. We were at the top of the points table in Karachi and would like to be able to sustain the run of form in Abu Dhabi.

“I am pleased with our replacements, especially Martin Guptill and Thisara Perera, who have tons of T20 experience . . . as well as Najib, to add to a phenomenally gifted local core, led by our batting maestro Babar Azam,” Imad said.

“Sharjeel Khan did well for us in Karachi while Mohammad Amir as always will be spearheading our bowling attack. At a personal level, I look forward to leading my team from the front,” the all-rounder added.

Peshawar Zalmi captain Wahab Riaz said: “We are really excited about the resumption of the HBL PSL. Like the rest of the sides, we also have a rejigged squad in terms of our foreign players.

“We are pleased with our replacements as the trio of Fabian Allen, Fidel Edwards and Rovman Powell provide us with good T20 options. We have some seasoned T20 campaigners. Shoaib Malik, Imam-ul-Haq and Kamran Akmal provide us with experience and skill in the batting department backed by young Haider Ali,” the fast bowler said.

“Mohammad Irfan, Umaid Asif and I would aim to lead the bowling attack in Abu Dhabi. Our young pacers Mohammad Imran and Amir Khan are also full of promise.

“We had a good run in Karachi and we would be aiming to further improve our performance in the remaining round matches to ensure a top two position which will help us in the play-offs,” Wahab said.

Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan: “In the prevailing pandemic challenges, the return of the HBL PSL 6 is a massive boost for all of us. We have great memories of playing in the UAE, United of course won its first title there in 2016.

“The 2017 season proved to be a life-changing one for me there. Now four years later, I am really looking forward to leading my side in Abu Dhabi,” said the all-rounder.

“We had an excellent run in Karachi and I am confident that the team will do equally well in Abu Dhabi. Usman Khawaja provides us good foreign batting support and I am sure he will be useful for us in the top-order,” said Shadab.

“We have quality Pakistan players in our line-up, Asif Ali, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed and Faheem Ashraf provide us great depth and pedigree. Hasan Ali has made great all-round contributions in recent domestic and international appearances and is at present at the peak of his prowess, we hope he will continue his great form for us especially towards the business end of the tournament,” he added.

Lahore Qalandars captain Sohail Akhtar said: “The Karachi-leg was incredibly competitive and despite our fourth-spot we are joint on points with the three teams ahead of us. This means that we have a real shot at one of the four play-off berths and that is really exciting.

“This year also provides us the opportunity of changing our poor run in the UAE where we struggled to make an impression in the previous editions, we have some incredible local talent with a potent bowling attack which makes me very confident,” said Akhtar.

“As a captain, I am thrilled to have players like Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf in our ranks. They provide real firepower and depth to our squad. Callum Ferguson and James Faulkner lead the line-up of our foreign replacements,” he added.

Multan Sultans captain Mohammad Rizwan said: “We had a tough run in Karachi, but we have the depth and pedigree in our squad to turn the tables around when we resume the action in the UAE. We would need to hit the ground running and produce the wins straight away to stay in contention for a play-offs spot and that is a challenge that will motivate both me and my squad.

“Obed McCoy and Rahmanullah Gurbaz provide us depth as our foreign replacements for the Abu Dhabi-leg,” said the wicketkeeper batsman.

“Players like Sohaib Maqsood, Usman Qadir, Sohail Tanvir and Shahid Afridi have the ability to turn a match on its head, they can with their individual and collective brilliance, bring us right back in the hunt in Abu Dhabi. I am hopeful that we will put smiles on the Sultans’ fans faces with a strong turnaround in the remainder of the tournament,” Rizwan added.

Quetta Gladiators captain Sarfraz Ahmed said: “The Karachi-leg was a challenging one for us as a team but we took a significant step in the last match before the suspension by becoming the first side to successfully defend a target in the HBL Pakistan Super League 6. The last result is a positive that we will carry with us in Abu Dhabi, UAE has been a great venue for us as we have done outstandingly well there in the past.

“The conditions and the nature of the pitches have always suited us and we would really want to make it count as we cannot afford a slip-up. We look forward to welcoming Andre Russell to our ranks, his presence, rich T20 experience and sheer star power will definitely help us in the remainder of the tournament,” said the former Pakistan captain.

“Besides Russell, players like Azam Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Hasnain and Anwar Ali are match winners on their day and we need them to be at their very best in Abu Dhabi. Opener Usman Khan won us the last match in Karachi on his HBL PSL debut and I hope he will continue to play with the same fearless approach,” Sarfraz added.