Kapugedara believes Ajmal and Hafeez are great bowlers and the ban cannot take that away from them. PHOTO: AFP
“I am very interested in playing in the PSL and my representative has already made contact with the PSL management on this issue,” said Kapugedara, while talking to PakPassion in an interview.
“Honestly speaking, it’s a great opportunity to play alongside some of the better international and domestic players and I am hoping that I can get a contract to participate in this tournament.”
Read: Gayle, Sammy agree to play in Pakistan Super League
Kapugedara opined that PSL will help Pakistan develop new talent as it has already done for other countries which are running such leagues.
“Almost every country is running its own T20 League and the Pakistani version can also take its place among them,” said Kapugedara.
“The PSL in my view has the potential to become a top league and most of all, it will help in developing new talent for Pakistan just like it has done for the other countries. It should provide great exposure for the younger and inexperienced Pakistan players. They will be able to play alongside the top international players and learn from that experience.”
Read: PSL attracts big names from West Indies, Sri Lanka
The 28-year-old further said that holding PSL in Doha is a good start and later the event can be moved back to Pakistan once it becomes a brand.
“I suppose the reason it's being held in Doha is due to the incidents of the past as international players would be reluctant to play in Pakistan,” he said.
“Holding this tournament in Doha is a good start as once it’s established then maybe it can be moved to Pakistan at a later stage when circumstances allow it. Once that happens then it will show to the world that Pakistan is a safe country for cricket and regular international cricket can resume there. For the moment, let the tournament happen in Doha and take it from there.
“It wouldn’t even be a bad idea to play a few games of the PSL in Pakistan and if I am participating in the PSL, I certainly would put my hand up if the one of the franchises wanted me to play there. That wouldn’t be a bad idea at all.”
Kapugedara also recalled the memories of the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore saying it is history now and there is no point in delving into past issues.
“It was indeed a horrifying time for all of us on the tour but that is all history now,” said the right-hand batsman.
“There is no point delving on past issues. It’s been a long time now and this is not something we discuss among ourselves as well. We should move on and look to the future.”
Read: Hosting PSL in Qatar will not affect Pakistan fan base, says Ramiz
Moreover, he said that if given a chance he would seriously consider coming to Pakistan for a series.
“I sincerely hope and pray that things have changed for the better in Pakistan since our last trip,” said Kapugedara.
“As for myself, if I am given another opportunity, I will seriously consider going back. I am sure there will be another opportunity to visit the country again and I will definitely think about that.”
Furthermore, he said that Saeed Ajmal and Muhammad Hafeez are great bowlers and the current ban cannot take that away from them.
“The fact is that when I was playing against Saeed Ajmal or Mohammad Hafeez, there were no such regulations in place.”
“They were completely alright at that point. I have absolutely no problems or misgivings about that. They are great bowlers and nothing that is happening now can take that away from them.”
Australian Hodge applies for PSL
PHOTO: AFPAustralian batsman Brad Hodge has decided to play in Pakistan Super League (PSL) in Qatar next February.
The inaugural season of the PSL is set to include five teams from the provincial capitals - Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta – and include 24 matches from February 4-24, 2016.
Hodge, 40, enjoyed a productive stint in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) this year with Guyana, finishing as the tournament's seventh-highest runs-scorer.
"My name just gets put into a draft, and hopefully someone picks me up and I can contribute,” said Hodge.
“There's a lot of good players out there that I assume want to be involved," he said.
The PSL has already attracted the likes of West Indian T20 superstars Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard and now Hodge has confirmed that he has applied to play in the tournament.
Shoaib Malik welcomes players to PSL
Shoaib Malik on Wednesday welcomes West Indian players to PSL in a tweet.
@KieronPollard55 @henrygayle and D Bravo welcome to #PSL gents 😊
— Shoaib Malik 🇵🇰 (@realshoaibmalik) September 16, 2015
He also expressed his delight on the excitement being shown by Pakistani cricket fans for the league.
Feels great to see so much excitement amongst the nation to host international players! Time to #AbKhelKeDikha #PSL #T20 @henrygayle
— Shoaib Malik 🇵🇰 (@realshoaibmalik) September 15, 2015
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