That is all we have from Karachi this evening. Lahore Qalandars needed their batters to take the onus, and they did that in style. RawalPindiZ will probably now want to give each of their squad members a game and also look to create a blueprint to perform better in the next season.
We have a double header Sunday tomorrow. Karachi Kings will take on Multan Sultans at 3 PM IST (2:30 PM Local Time). Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators will contest against each other at 7:30 PM IST (7 PM Local Time). Do join us for both games here at CREX.
On this note, I, Manan Mehta would like to take your leave on behalf of my colleagues Dev Rajawat, Mohammad Anab and Zeeshan Naiyer. B-byeee...
Shaheen Afridi (Lahore Qalandars Captain): (On backing the decision to bat first after winning the toss) “Yes, we knew we had been making mistakes, but sometimes a team just needs one performance to click. Credit goes to Fakhar and Farooq. Farooq is a young player, only in his second PSL match, and the way he batted gave us a very good start. From there, scoring 200 on that wicket was outstanding.
(On Lahore Qalandars backing young players) That has always been a strength of Lahore Qalandars. A lot of credit goes to Sameen and Rajab bhai, and to the PDP program that runs across many cities in Pakistan. They identify talented players, give them opportunities, and those players come through to perform on big stages and represent Pakistan.
(On the importance of the victory) This win was very important for us. We want to move up the points table and reach the playoffs. We are trying our best, but for us it is about taking one match at a time. We’ll stay focused on that and appreciate the effort the boys are putting in.”
Mohammad Rizwan (RawalPindiZ Captain): "(On the poor fielding performance) I think even if you look at our second game against Karachi Kings, we lost it because we dropped catches. The pitch played pretty well I felt, but if you miss chances then no team is going to spare you and that is what happened today.
(On young prospects like Saad Masood and Yasir Khan) Yes, Saad is playing really well. He debuted for Pakistan recently as well. He played really well over there as well against Bangladesh I remember. Yasir too is a very exciting prospect, and these things are good signs for us. Today Amir bowled really well as well. I think the runs we gave away were decent. Not good but decent as the pitch played really well.
(Plan going forward) If you ask me about this time, I really want to give credit to my owners. They have shown great support. I know they must be feeling the heat too. But they have backed me big time. They continuously remind me that it is our first season. Now we do not have much to do this season, but we will try to make a good picture for the next season and hopefully come with some luck (laughs)."
Fakhar Zaman (Player of the Match): (On the importance of top-order runs) “If the top order scores runs, it increases your chances because you get a strong start. That helps the team a lot.
(On batting with Farooq and their partnership) Farooq gave us a very good start, so my effort was to support him. He was getting boundaries, and I was also finding runs, so I tried to keep him going. The way he played was excellent for the team, especially with the confidence he showed on his debut.
(On advice given to Farooq during the innings) When he had a few dot balls, I told him that at this level, no one will give you easy loose deliveries - you have to create scoring opportunities yourself. He understood that well. He is very talented. If he keeps playing like this, he can make a big name for himself and win many matches for Lahore Qalandars.
(On Lahore Qalandars being inconsistent) That’s just how cricket can be. Some days everything clicks, some days it doesn’t. Maybe our team also needed that wake-up call. We’ve learned lessons from the matches we lost, and hopefully we’ll apply those lessons and make a strong comeback.”