LAHORE: Pacer Muhammad Ali of the Multan Sultans, who now tops the HBL Pakistan Super League’s fast bowling rankings with 13 wickets, has emphasized that he never compares himself to other players and instead always tries to play his own game.
On the eve of their game against the struggling Lahore Qalandars on Monday, Ali told reporters following a training session at the LCCA venue here that he doesn’t view his performance as competing with other players.
Rather, he claimed, he concentrated on winning his individual match and carrying out the duties that the team management had given him.
With eight points from five games, Ali was a major factor in the Multan Sultans’ ascent to the top of the standings. He conveyed faith in his team’s equilibrium and preparedness to take on the Qaladars at home.
Ali emphasized the value of red-ball cricket for player development and refuted the idea that switching from red-ball to white-ball cricket was challenging.
The head coach of the Lahore Qalandars, Aaqib Javed, a former Test bowler, voiced his disappointment at losing paceman Haris Rauf, who sustained a shoulder dislocation in Saturday’s match against Karachi Kings and would miss the rest of the PSL.
Aaqib emphasized the injury-related absence of important players like Haris and spinner Rashid Khan but maintained optimism that the Qalandars had a potent bowling lineup in spite of the defeats.
He voiced hope that the squad would recover from its recent close losses and play better in the next games to maintain its playoff hopes.
The fact that batter Reeza Henderson and team captain Mohammed Rizwan of the Multan Sultans are ranked in the top four of the competition speaks volumes about the team’s outstanding play in all areas.
The Sultans triumphed at home over Islamabad United, Lahore Qalandars, and Karachi Kings while dropping a game to Peshawar Zalmi. It will be their first away game of the season when they play this match.
A win over the Sultans is essential for the Lahore Qalandars to remain in the running for the title, as they have dropped their previous five matches. With a total of 270 runs, their batter Rassie van der Dussen became the leading scorer after hitting his first century of the current PSL season against Zalmi. Sahibzada Farhan, the Qalandars operator, is in fifth place among the top scorers as well. Fakhar Zaman, the opener for the Qalandars, has to get back to his best, though, as the Pakistani international has only scored 66 runs in five games. Captain
As the leader of the pack, Shaheen Shah Afridi must also set an exemplary example.
