Tag: Karachi Kings

LAHORE: Experienced leg-spinner Imran Tahir was glad that his side Karachi Kings finished their Pakistan Super League (PSL) eight campaign on a winning note after a resounding 86-run victory over table-toppers Lahore Qalandars.

Imran was once again clinical with his bowling performance as he took two wickets for 24 runs against home side Qalandars and played a pivotal role in dismantling their batting order while defending a massive total of 197.

The experienced leg-spinner in an interview briefly after the conclusion of his side’s final PSL 8 fixture, expressed his delight in finishing the tournament on a winning note as the Kings ‘badly needed’ it.

“Yeah look it’s always nice to finish like this when you obviously had a tough campaign. I think we badly needed it, to be very honest with you. We are very glad to finish on a good note,” said Imran.

Imran then went on to assert that the ongoing edition of the PSL has been very tough for the bowlers as the conditions on offer in most of the venues barely supported them.

“If I look at all PSL, I think people need to think about it, it’s been tough for the bowlers. As you see all over Pakistan, in Karachi we had tough conditions – a bit dew – and even in Pindi, it’s been very tough wickets for spinners to bowl,” complained Imran.

“But, it’s been a great experience, I won’t say it was my favourite PSL this year for me personally. Yeah, from the team’s point of view, I think we wanted to finish the way we finished today,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention that a resounding 86-run victory over the leaders Qalandars, lifted the Kings to finish this year’s extravaganza fifth with six points in 10 matches.

LAHORE: Karachi Kings’ skipper Imad Wasim, who was phenomenal with his all-round performance in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) eight stated on Sunday that he would have been happier if his team had advanced into the playoffs.

Imad, during an interview in Pitch Side after Karachi Kings’ resounding 86-run victory over Lahore Qalandars, responded to a question regarding his brilliant individual performance and stated that it did not mean much to the all-rounder.

“Look, we are paid professionals so it is our job to perform but I don’t rate individual performances much. If our team had qualified [for the playoffs] or played the final then it would be nice,” shared Imad.

“I personally think if you perform so much and yet your team does not go through then to me such performances are not beneficial. People think I played really well so yes, I did, but winning it for your team is a different thing and I’m more disappointed about that,” he continued.

The Kings’ skipper then reflected upon his team’s journey in this year’s PSL and reiterated close defeats and struggle in death bowling as the main rationales behind their shortcoming.

“As many matches we played, were all close ones, if the results were opposite, we would be second but it did not happen. We played good cricket throughout the tournament but we made some mistakes and it cost us and that’s what happens in T20 cricket,” said Imad.

“We faced difficulty in death bowling in the tournament. I think it cost us the entire season. So, it is very important. What I feel personally is that our team batted really well and everyone played with decent strike rates but again death bowling cost us,” he maintained.

Imad then pointed out the positives from his team’s progress in PSL 8 and termed the emergence of their youngsters – Qasim Akram and Irfan Khan Niazi – stood out for the team.

“I think, the way Irfan Khan Niazi came to the limelight is not easy for an emerging player. Our team’s prime goal is to play and win the playoff and the second is to give talented players to our country, who can serve the national team in future. I think Irfan Niazi and Qasim [Akram] have a lot of time to play cricket,” stated Imad.

“Secondly, the way Akhlaq played, how brilliant was when he got the chance. It was unfortunate that he couldn’t get the chance earlier since we had James Vince and Matthew Wade.

“So, such things often happen that you make chop and change but those who are your main players, you try to trust them and we did exactly that. Moreover, we do not have any regrets but yes we are saddened that we couldn’t advance in the tournament,” Imad concluded.

It is pertinent to mention that after Akhlaq and Imad’s brilliance propelled the Kings to 196/7 the Kings’ bowlers crushed the Qalandars’ batting unit to script a resounding 86-run victory.

The dominating victory over Qalandars in their final PSL 8 fixture lifted the Kings to finish in fifth spot as they finished with six points in 10 matches.

READ: Kings’ Akhlaq ‘pleased’ with his match-winning knock against Qalandars

LAHORE: Karachi Kings’ debutant right-handed opener Muhammad Akhlaq was pleased with his match-winning half-century knock against Lahore Qalandars in the last group fixture of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight.

Akhlaq, who was adjudged the player of the match for his magnificent 51 which powered the Kings to a competitive total, interacted with the media and expressed his satisfaction with his brilliant performance.

“I’m thankful to Almighty Allah for granting me respect in my debut match. I felt really good to play for Karachi Kings,” said Akhlaq.

“I’ve played for Islamabad [United] and Karachi [Kings] and enjoyed my time being in both sides and also learn a lot. But in Karachi [Kings], the Almighty Allah granted with respect,” he maintained.

The right-handed batter then commented on the Kings’ campaign in the PSL 8 and asserted that few close losses and below-par death bowling dented their march to the playoffs.

“Our team was outstanding but we’ve been unlucky in this tournament as we lost most of the matches by close margins. So, I think it was just bad luck. Things were going well but we couldn’t get satisfactory results in the end,” Akhlaq said.

“The prime reason behind our defeats was that we were struggling in the death bowling, we couldn’t bowl well in the last five overs of the innings,” he added.

It is worth mentioning that after Akhlaq propelled the Kings to 196/7 the Kings’ bowlers crushed the Qalandars’ batting unit to script a resounding 86-run victory.

The dominating victory over Qalandars in their final PSL 8 fixture lifted the Kings to finish in fifth spot as they finished with six points in 10 matches.

READ: Akhlaq, bowlers power Karachi Kings to thrash Lahore Qalandars

LAHORE: Karachi Kings’ head coach Johan Botha summed up his team’s campaign in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight and termed skipper Imad Wasim’s red-hot form as one of the positives for the former champions.

Head coach Botha, in an interview on the sidelines of the Kings’ final PSL 8 fixture against home side Lahore Qalandars, pragmatically highlighted the shortcomings and positives for the Kings before praising skipper Imad for his brilliance with the bat throughout the season.

“I think Imad batted well as I’ve ever seen him bat. So, he’s obviously had a purple patch in the tournament and in the batting point of view, he has been outstanding,” said Botha.

The Kings’ head coach then mentioned other key performers for his side in the PSL 8 and highly rated the significant contributions of James Vince, Mohammad Amir and Irfan Khan Niazi.

“James Vince for short period was excellent. I think Niazi for an emerging player, put his name out there. He’s a really talented player, an excellent fielder and he’s shown little glimpses,” shared Botha.

“Amir was bit with niggles, hot and cold but you can never question his commitment to the team. He was excellent whenever he was on the field. So hopefully, in the future, we can have him 100 per cent fit for all 10 games. He’s still a star performer,” he maintained.

Kings’ coach Botha then went on to assert that some close losses hurt the team’s campaign in the ongoing season and barred them from qualifying for the playoffs.

“We obviously had a couple of close losses and that’s gonna hurt you someway along the line. We lost three games with single figures and we lost another two games [by a close margin],” stated Botha.

“It’s been that close but at the end of the day that doesn’t get written at the end of the tournament and unfortunately we’re one of the teams that won’t be making it to the playoffs,” he concluded.

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ISLAMABAD: Karachi Kings’ star spinner Tabraiz Shamsi have signed off from the Pakistan Super League season 8 to fulfil his national duty. 

South Africa’s Shamsi bid farewell to his inaugural PSL season after Karachi Kings’ narrow defeat against Quetta Gladiators on Monday. Shamsi is set to leave for his home country to play three-match T20I series against West Indies, later this month.

The left-arm spinner on PSL debut played a pivotal role in his team’s triumph over the then table-toppers Multan Sultans, picking up three wickets.

Shamsi left an impact with his four-match stint for the Kings in PSL 8 as he picked up seven wickets at an average of just 14.71.

Taking to Twitter, the South African spinner thanked his franchise before signing off from the ongoing extravaganza to fulfil his national duty.

“Thanks a lot to [Karachi Kings] for having me as part of the squad. I had a great first experience of the [PSL 8],” wrote Shamsi.

Thanks a lot to @KarachiKingsARY for having me as part of the squad. I had a great first experience of the @thePSLt20

Time to head back home for country duty 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/z2iIeI6Rwu

— Tabraiz Shamsi (@shamsi90) March 7, 2023

 

It is worth mentioning that ahead of their home T20I series against West Indies, Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Monday named a strong 15-member squad, led by Aiden Markram.

READ: Saim, Babar star as Zalmi set Qalandars to chase 208

RAWALPINDI: Karachi Kings’ wicketkeeper batter Matthew Wade expressed confidence in his side’s ability to make it to the playoffs, terming the next three matches ‘important’.

Wade, who scored a fighting half-century in the run chase against Peshawar Zalmi, shared his disappointment over failing to finish the game but stated that his side will get another opportunity to bounce back.

“It would have been nice if I had finished the game, that’s our job as a top order player. As I said, the rate was crazy enough high, we need 12 or 13 [runs per over]. I felt like if they gave me the ball up, I would hit areas I thought I could hit and was gonna take it down straight but missed it. That’s kind of the game, it’s T20 and it happens,” said Wade.

“Yeah it is disappointing that I couldn’t go on and pose a bigger score but we’ll get another opportunity in a few days, we have to bounce back, we have to win the next three games and win them well and give ourselves a chance for the finals,” he added.

The wicketkeeper batter then asserted that the Kings’ net run rate in the tournament has the capability of spicing up the race for the playoffs as his side lost their matches by minimal margins.

“We are not playing our best but we’ve been there and there about as we’ve lost by minimal margins and our run rate is probably capable in the tournament at the moment,” shared Wade.

“So, pretty much every game from here, we have to win, let’s how we’re looking at it anyway and if we can bank three, we’ll have the chance to play the finals,” he added.

It is worth mentioning that the Kings slipped to fifth with four points in seven matches in the PSL 8 standings with a narrow 24-run defeat against Peshawar Zalmi.

Kings’ pacer Mohammad Amir’s magnificent figures of 4/26 and Imad Wasim’s gritty 57-run knock went in vain.

The 2020 champions next face Islamabad United on Friday in a must-win clash.

ISLAMABAD: Karachi Kings’ captain Imad Wasim hoped to continue the momentum achieved after the sensational win in the last game and earn a spot in the playoffs of the Pakistan Super League season 8. 

Talking to the media on Tuesday ahead of the Kings’ next PSL encounter against Peshawar Zalmi in Rawalpindi tomorrow, skipper Imad claimed that his side was playing a good brand of cricket overall and it was unfortunate that the team lost a few close-margin games.

“We are still in the competition,” he said, believing that the tournament would take a sharp turn if the Kings win their remaining four matches.

Commenting on his side’s strategy for the upcoming games in the event, he said, “We will try to cover those margins of two or three runs with our fielding.”

With the action now being shifted to Rawalpindi and Lahore after the conclusion of the Karachi-Multan leg of the PSL 8 where the Kings enjoyed overwhelming support from the home crowd, the skipper urged the people of the twin cities to show in numbers to support him and the team.

“This is my home ground,” he said about the Rawalpindi Stadium, adding, “conditions in the city are favourable for the batters and we always expect high-scoring games at this ground.”

Furthermore, the all-rounder lauded the youngster Tayyab Tahir for his match-defining half-century during the Kings’ 66-run victory over Multan Sultans on Sunday, saying it was unfortunate the side could not fit him in the earlier matches.

“I was always aware of his talent and knew that he was a top performer in domestic cricket.” he maintained.

“In fact, I used to tell him that you are just around the corner and whenever you get a chance just play the way you do in domestic.”

He also praised the emerging all-rounder Qasim Akram, calling him the future of Pakistan cricket.

“I am confident that Qasim will serve Pakistan in future,” he said.

“We could not play him just because we needed a hard-hitting option in the depth, so we thought Irfan Khan Niazi was more suitable for the role,” he added.

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ISLAMABAD: English wicket-keeper batter Adam Rossington arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday and joined the Karachi Kings squad as a partial replacement for his compatriot James Vince in the ongoing Pakistan Super League season 8. 

Rossington filled the void left by Vince who headed off to join the England team for its upcoming white-ball tour of Bangladesh on Monday.

Taking to Twitter, Karachi Kings announced the arrival of the wicket-keeper batter in the capital city where the team has been staying for its Rawalpindi fixtures.

JUST-IN: English wicket-keeper batter Adam Rossington arrives in Islamabad to join the #KingsSquad 🤝#YehHaiKarachi | #HBLPSL8 pic.twitter.com/0DxSw66vN2

— Karachi Kings (@KarachiKingsARY) February 27, 2023

Star opener Vince is set to miss at least the next three fixtures of the Kings due to his national duty. He is supposed to join the PSL again following the conclusion of the England tour of Bangladesh on March 14.

The right-hander had been a mainstay of the Karachi Kings’ batting lineup in the tournament. He scored a quickfire fifty from just 20 balls in the first of the two clashes against Multan Sultans last week.

It is pertinent to mention here that the 2020 PSL champions Kings will play Babar Azam-led Peshawar Zalmi in their next encounter in Rawalpindi on March 1.

READ: New Zealand beat England by one run in second-Test thriller

ISLAMABAD: Karachi Kings’ squad on Monday reached here to play their last four matches before the playoffs during the Rawalpindi-Lahore leg of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 8.

According to the details, the Kings’ squad checked in at the Islamabad International Airport before reporting at the team hotel here on Monday evening, ahead of their clash with Babar Azam-led Peshawar Zalmi.

Following their arrival, captains of both sides will hold pre-match press conferences ahead of their anticipated clash, scheduled on Wednesday.

Taking to Twitter, the Kings shared footage of their journey from Karachi to here.

𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤 𝙄𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙗𝙖𝙙 👋#YehHaiKarachi | #KingsSquad | #HBLPSL8 pic.twitter.com/GYbxWZxcWt

— Karachi Kings (@KarachiKingsARY) February 27, 2023

 

It is pertinent to mention that the Kings, on the winning track with their dominating 66-run victory over leaders Multan Sultans on Sunday, will be aiming to continue their momentum against Zalmi.

The 2020 PSL champions currently hold the fourth spot in the standings with four points, followed by Zalmi with as many points.

READ: PSL 8: Batters dominate as Qalandars set United to chase 201

KARACHI: Karachi Kings are set to leave the home city on Monday to play their last four matches before the playoffs during the Rawalpindi-Lahore leg of the Pakistan Super League season 8. 

According to the details, the squad reached Jinnah International Airport in the afternoon and will fly out to Islamabad in a short while.

On Sunday, the Kings played their final home game of the season and sealed a dominant 66-run victory over Multan Sultans to make a solid comeback in the tournament.

Taking to Twitter, the Kings also shared pictures of a few players waiting for the flight.

Ready to 🛫#YehHaiKarachi | #KingsSquad | #HBLPSL8 pic.twitter.com/NL9cq0WTD9

— Karachi Kings (@KarachiKingsARY) February 27, 2023

It is pertinent to mention here that the 2020 PSL Champions Kings will play Babar Azam-led Peshawar Zalmi in their next encounter in Rawalpindi on March 1.

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