Hope to win title in front of ‘home crowd’ in Karachi, says Sarfraz

Quetta captain happy to see landmark event take place in his city

KARACHI: The National Stadium of Karachi took another step towards hosting the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final after it was given the go-ahead  by an independent security firm that reports to the International Cricket Council, and Quetta Gladiators skipper Sarfraz Ahmed has said he is excited about the final taking place in his hometown.

“The hype and excitement for the PSL is reaching its peak and everybody seems to be talking about it,” said the wicketkeeper-batsman. “I am excited about the final taking place in Karachi. Whenever I have played, the fans of Karachi have always supported me a lot. However, that is not only the case with the people of Karachi since fans all over the country are very supportive of me.”

The Karachi-born believes the hosting of the final in Karachi will help the country’s biggest city.

“Karachi hosting the final is great news for the plethora of cricket fans in the country,” he said. “International stars have visited Lahore and the people of Lahore have been able to see them live in action. Now it is the turn of Karachi’s fans to do so.”

Quetta have reached both finals of the PSL so far and Sarfraz is hoping to go one step further in front of his ‘home fans’.

“We want to be in the final again and win the title as a gift to the fans of Karachi,” said Sarfraz, whose Quetta side boasts a number of player from Karachi. “Hopefully, whichever teams reach the final,  they can produce a good showing and entertain the crowd. However, it would be even more satisfying for me on a personal level if I won it in front of my home crowd.”

Quetta coach Moin Khan recently expressed his satisfaction at the additions made to the side for the third edition and Sarfraz was also confident his side can cope with the loss of players such as Tymal Mills and Luke Wright.

“The T20 format is a very fast format and there isn’t much time to think,” he said. “Every team will try to play its best players and in this format all it takes is a few players playing well to turn the game around. If two or three players come in and they score 20 plus runs in less than 10 balls then they have the capability of becoming your main players.”