Akhtar pins high hopes on Dunk, in-from local players ahead of PSL 5 playoffs

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Lahore Qalandars’ captain Sohail Akhtar is hopeful that Australia’s Den Dunk and other in-form local players will put up a good show during the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) playoffs.

Qalandars finished third on the points table, after the first round, and will face Peshawar Zalmi in the eliminator on November 14 at the National Stadium in Karachi.

“Ben Dunk has performed really well for us and we are hopeful that he can continue that in the remaining matches as well,” said Akhtar.

“Shaheen [Afridi], Haris [Rauf] [Mohammad] Hafeez bhai and Fakhar [Zaman] are all in good form, which was evident during the National T20 Cup and ongoing Zimbabwe series. Hopefully, these players can continue their good run of form in PSL too,” he added.

Qalandars, who have a passionate fan base, are keen on winning the title for their supporters and have no qualms about playing away from their home — Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

“We were eagerly waiting for the playoffs and hopefully we can put up a good show during the upcoming matches,” he said. “Our fans have always supported us and we want to win this trophy for them.”

“Lahore Qalandars has fans all over Pakistan and Karachi is just like our second home. Also, as a professional we should be prepared to play on any venue. Although, crowd won’t be in the stands but I’m sure they will be supporting us from their homes,” he added. 

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Akhtar also opened up on why he was named as the captain of the franchise, despite the presence of experienced players in the side.

“I have led the Players Development Program (PDP) teams during tournaments in Australia and Abu Dhabi so I had enough experience before being made captain of Lahore Qalandars,” he said.

“Our team is mostly based on players from the PDP so it is easier for me to judge these players and their abilities, because I’m playing with them throughout the year, as compared to someone who joins our team for the main tournament only,” he added. 

Akhtar, who only played three matches during the recently concluded National T20 Cup for Northern, was also unfazed about his lack of chances ahead of crucial PSL matches.

“We had a good squad so it was tough to get into the playing XI but having said that this won’t affect my performance because the mindset of a domestic tournament, as compared to PSL, is completely different,” he said.

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