Photo Credit: Karachi Kings
Mr. Salman Iqbal, the owner of the most followed franchise of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Karachi Kings has shared the strategy behind the selection of a strong squad for the upcoming fifth edition of the league.
In an interview with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s website, Mr. Salman expressed confidence in his team and highly looks forward to winning the PSL 5 title.
“I am very happy with the squad which we have been able to assemble. Our philosophy was very clear that we have to retain the core nucleus of the team with the players who we want to be with us in the long-term while building a strong bench around them with strategic picks for critical positions,” he said.
Mr. Salman said that their batting is balanced with the likes of renowned T20 specialists. He believes the opening pair of Pakistan’s Babar Azam and England’s Alex Hales will roar in the event. “Getting Alex [Hales] in the side at the last spot in the round was a coup for us as he was our target player who we wanted to recruit straight into the team. The top T20 batter Babar Azam now has one of the most dangerous top-order partners with him with an in-form Hales. Sharjeel Khan and Cameron Delport build a very strong top-order core with them,” Kings’ owner mentioned.
Talking about bowling combination, Mr. Salman said that his team contains multi-dimensional bowlers. “We have built a multi-dimensional and adaptive bowling core with a focus on getting specialists for different T20 phases. Being able to get CJ [Chris Jordan] really helped us. The team that we have built gives me a lot of confidence in our prospects this season,” he maintained.
Furthermore, he once again showed confidence in skipper Imad Wasim, youngsters including Umer Khan, Usama Mir, and Arshad Iqbal. “With Imad Wasim, Babar, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Aamir Yamin and talented youngsters like Umer Khan, who I believe has a tremendous future ahead, Osama and now Arshad Iqbal, who has the desired skill and tactical maturity, we have various pieces we wanted and what remains to be seen is how great a team they can become,” he concluded.
Karachi Kings squad for HBL PSL 2020:
Platinum – Babar Azam, Mohammad Amir, and Alex Hales
Diamond – Imad Wasim (captain), Iftikhar Ahmed and Chris Jordan
Gold – Aamir Yamin, Sharjeel Khan, and Cameron Delport
Silver – Usama Mir, Mohammad Rizwan, Umaid Asif, Chadwick Walton, and Ali Khan
Emerging – Umer Khan and Arshad Iqbal
Supplementary – Mitch McClenaghan and Awais Zia
