Multan eager to bring down Karachi

PSL’s two pretournament favourites clash in early pace setter

KARACHI: Pakistan Super League (PSL) is a great platform for young players to announce themselves and claim overnight international fame while also learning from the slew of senior veterans and legend that are part of the tournament.

Multan Sultans youngster Saif Badar is understandably looking forward to his side’s clash against Karachi Kings as both sides look to continue their impressive start to the PSL.

“I am really excited to face Karachi Kings since they have been the best team so far,” said Badar, while talking to The Express Tribune. “Karachi have a very balanced side but we will still do our best to win and leapfrog them in the rankings table.”



Badar revealed the work the debutants have done behind the scenes in order to prepare for the crunch tie. “We have done a lot of good training sessions in the past three days, with the likes of Tom Moody and Wasim Akram really helping us,” he said. “They have given us a lot of confidence and have asked us to stay calm during matches so hopefully we can do what they have asked of us.”

Multan Sultans have impressed so far, winning two games and losing one, and have been propelled by the performances of former Karachi Kings duo Kumar Sangakkara and Shoaib Malik.

“Watching Sangakkara and Malik play really helps me learn a lot,” said Badar. “The way they play out there in the middle; they are always so relaxed and make it look so easy. They read every situation perfectly.”

Badar also praised skipper Malik for his fielding skills and said he is learning from the veteran. “Our captain is incredibly sharp in the field,” he said. “He can read the game very well and playing alongside him really increases your passion and energy out there on the field. Our fielding coach, Johan Botha, has also helped us a lot.”



T20 specialist Sohail Tanvir also believes Multan Sultans have what it takes to become the first side to defeat Karachi Kings in PSL3. “We have a bowling attack that is both experienced and talented,” he said. “So we know how to deal with the Karachi batsmen. However, they aren’t the best side in the tournament for no reason. We go into the game well-rested so hopefully we can play to the best of our abilities.”

The left-arm pacer identified the Karachi men that can really hurt Multan. “Opener Joe Denly can really be troublesome for us, while veteran all-rounder Shahid Afridi has the ability to take the game away from you any time. However, we are really looking forward to the game.”