LAHORE
\nPeshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam has asked the cricket fans to watch 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on television screens and digital media platforms as PSL will be played behind closed doors.
\n\u201cWe will certainly miss the fans in the stadiums and I am sure they will also miss watching the action live. Wherever we play, we receive tremendous support and we will try to play an exciting brand of cricket to make our fans proud while they follow us on television and social media,\u201d he said during the Captains\u2019 press conference on the eve of the Pakistan\u2019s premier league.
\nThe Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to hold PSL 11 behind closed doors and without fanfare after Pakistan government announced to adopt austerity measures in the face of energy challenges posed by the geopolitical situation in the region.
\nTo a question, Babar Azam said \u201cour bowling lacked consistency last season, but this time we have a strong bowling line-up. Our focus is on executing our plans well and delivering better results.\u201d
\nShaheen Shah Afridi, Lahore Qalandars\u2019 captain, felicitated PCB on completing 10 years of PSL, adding that the league has produced outstanding talent over the years and we hope it continues to provide quality players for Pakistan cricket.\u201d
\n\u201cWe have prepared well at our High-Performance Centre in Islamabad. Our focus is on playing good cricket and giving our best to defend the title,\u201d Afridi responded.
\nShadab Khan of Islamabad United promised aggressive and smart brand of cricket during the PSL 11 and claimer Islamabad United has a balanced squad with a good mix of experience and youth.
\nShadab said \u201cHBL PSL has played a massive role in the growth of Pakistan cricket. It has given young players a platform to perform under pressure and as a team we are looking forward to putting in strong performances for our fans.\u201d
\nHailing former Chairman PCB Najam Sethi for growth of PSL as a world class brand, Mohammad Rizwan, Rawalpindiz captain, saud PCB has made tremendous efforts for the growth of the HBL PSL and credit also goes to Najam Sethi for taking the initiative to launch the league.
\nHe said the franchise value reaching into billions of rupees reflects how successful and significant the HBL PSL has become.
\n\u201cWith eight teams in the competition, there is now a bigger pool of players and more opportunities for talent to emerge. I hope the tournament helps players perform well, form strong combinations for the national side and deliver positive results for Pakistan in the future,\u201d Rizwan said.
\nSaud Shakeel, Quetta Gladiators
\n\u201cWe have had productive preparations and the players are eager to begin the tournament on a strong note. Our aim is to play quality cricket, stay consistent and give Quetta Gladiators\u2019 fans plenty to cheer about.
\n\u201cHBL PSL remains one of the most important platforms for young cricketers in Pakistan. Every season new players come through and we hope this edition continues that tradition while also helping us achieve success as a team.\u201d
\nDavid Warner, Karachi Kings
\n\u201cIt is great to have such an experienced group of players in our squad. For us, it is about building on what we achieved last year, adapting quickly to conditions and giving ourselves the best chance to progress further in the tournament.
\n\u201cWe have assembled a strong group at the Player Auction and there is a lot of quality in the squad. Personally, I feel fit and ready, and I hope I can contribute with runs and help put the team in strong positions.\u201d
\nMarnus Labuschagne, Hyderabad Kingsmen
\n\u201cFor us, it is important that every individual remains true to themselves. I want to lead this side the same way I lead my state team back home \u2014 by empowering players, backing their abilities and encouraging them to play their natural game.
\n\u201cThere is always pressure whenever you represent a team in any league or at international level, but that is also what makes it exciting. This is a new chapter for Kingsmen in the HBL PSL and it is a great opportunity for us to showcase our talent.\u201d
\nAshton Turner, Multan Sultans
\n\u201cAustralian players who get the chance to feature in the HBL PSL are very fortunate because we are looked after so well here. The HBL PSL is becoming one of the best franchise tournaments in the world and it is always exciting to be part of it.
\n\u201cWith new ownership, a new squad and a new coaching staff, it feels like the start of a fresh chapter for us. There is so much talent in Pakistan and it is a great opportunity to play alongside these players and grow together as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LAHORE Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam has asked the cricket fans to watch 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on television screens and digital media platforms as PSL will be played behind closed doors. \u201cWe will certainly miss the fans in the stadiums and I am sure they will also miss watching the …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":95458,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-95448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95448"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95448\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":95465,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95448\/revisions\/95465"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/95458"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=95448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=95448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}