Quetta Gladiators skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed has said that foreign players will prove to be match-winners, as he looks to turn the fate of the team after two Pakistan Super League (PSL) bad seasons.
“The foreign players we have are match-winners and they can singlehandedly turn around any match. Jason Roy and James Vince are both performing well, Ben Duckett has shown great form in the BBL and James Faulkner proved his mettle in the previous edition of the PSL as well,” Sarfaraz told Cricket Pakistan.
The 2019 PSL champions have failed to qualify for the finals in 2020 and 2021, but the skipper is satisfied with the squad and thinks his team has what it takes to grab this year’s trophy.
Sarfaraz said team combination issues and COVID-19 marred the last two seasons for the Gladiators.
“Our top-three players joined the team late and if you are out of practice, it becomes extremely difficult to win a tournament like PSL. Similarly, the players who were present with us could not join us in the next round of the tournament; Faf du Plessis came, he got injured. Andre Russel came, he also got injured. It was a cumulative effect,” he said.
The skipper said he had high expectations from Mohammad Hasnain, who has just concluded his brilliant stint in Australia’s Big Bash League.
“I have plenty of expectations from Hasnain this year as he would be playing his fourth season with Gladiators. He will emerge as the main bowler for us, he is improving day by day. He is in rhythm which is great for us and Hasnain too,” he said.
The Gladiators’ captain is happy with the inclusion of former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi in the franchise and hopes to benefit from his experience.
“Shahid bhai’s inclusion is a great prospect for Quetta and we will try our best to make the most of his experience as he has played for various PSL franchises and also delivered performances on the international stage in the past,” Sarfaraz said.
