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[PICTURES/VIDEOS] Karachi Kings 2019 Squad and Discussion Thread

A

Abdullah719

T20I Captain
Joined
Apr 16, 2013
Runs
44,825
[table=class:grid][tr][td]Platinum[/td][td]Diamond[/td][td]Gold[/td][td]Silver[/td][td]Emerging[/td][td]Supplementary[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Colin Munro[/td][td]Colin Ingram[/td][td]Mohammad Rizwan[/td][td]Awais Zia[/td][td]Ali Imran[/td][td]Aamer Yamin[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Mohammad Amir[/td][td]Imad Wasim[/td][td]Ravi Bopara[/td][td]Usama Mir[/td][td]Abrar Ahmed[/td][td]Ben Dunk[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Babar Azam[/td][td]Usman Shinwari[/td][td]Sikandar Raza[/td][td]Aaron Summers[/td][td][/td][td]Liam Livingstone[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][/td][td][/td][td][/td][td]Sohail Khan[/td][td][/td][td]Jaahid Ali[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][/td][td][/td][td][/td][td]Iftikhar Ahmed[/td][/tr][/table]
 
So Munro will have to carry the batting. A nothing squad really, especially with Iftikhar Ahmed the uncle when you have 9-10 top domestic talents omitted from the league... sad.

Wasim Akram is president or whatever, doesn't he chip in with who to pick? Surely he has an eye for talent to some degree having been captain and whatnot.
 
ifthikhar is a very good pick

wait and see
 
The weakest of them all. The batting is just not strong. Munro and Babar at the top and then poof!
 
Suleiman said:
So Munro will have to carry the batting. A nothing squad really, especially with Iftikhar Ahmed the uncle when you have 9-10 top domestic talents omitted from the league... sad.

Wasim Akram is president or whatever, doesn't he chip in with who to pick? Surely he has an eye for talent to some degree having been captain and whatnot.
Click to expand...

Not at all.
 
This is what happens when the owner of the franchise is picking players. Clueless squad. Unless Munro goes crazy this season, KK will struggle AGAIN for the fourth year in a row to post 150+ totals. Their bowling is a joke too.
 
Weak Batting lineup as always

Team:

Colin Munro
Babar Azam
Colin Ingram
Sikander Raza
Ravi Bopara
Mohammed Rizwan
Imad Wasim
Sohail Khan
Mohammad Amir
Usman Shinwari
Abrar Ahmed
 
shariqnoor said:
This is what happens when the owner of the franchise is picking players. Clueless squad. Unless Munro goes crazy this season, KK will struggle AGAIN for the fourth year in a row to post 150+ totals. Their bowling is a joke too.
Click to expand...

The owner is going to sign the cheques ofc he would want to pick the squad!

But yes, they lack creativity in decision making
 
Horrible team, just horrible.

Munro the only genuine T20 batsman and Babar is an anchor, meaning he isn't going to win you games and needs quality explosive batsmen around him.

Also, their bowling isn't much to talk about either.

Finishing last wouldn't be a surprise.
 
LMAO.

What a fool owner.

Hopefully, this team will be THRASHED!
 
their squad isn't as bad as it looks (due to absence of famous/big names). They have decent batting lineup, a very good fast bowling attack, some good hitters in supplimentary category but their spin bowling department isn't upto the mark. they should have picked Sandeep lamichane or any local goof spinner in place of Usama Mir. This guy has no control over the line & length. & 1 more thing, I feel Hassan Mohsin should have been in the squad but anyway they were just wasting him
 
Jahid Ali is yet to play t20 and gets selected for PSL. He has a List A strike rate of 69.
Only player I'm looking forward to in KK is Ali Imran
 
Awful team. Hope they are thrashed . Wouldn't surprise me if Jahid Ali actually starts :)) .

Usama Mir and Imad Wasim are a decent spin duo. The batting line up lacks power.
 
The batting looks like it will rely heavily on Munro.

Bopara needs to have a big tournament if they are to do well.
 
Brilliance said:
Brilliant pick by KK. He will be the best batsman of this PSL
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xc4RZMx.png


Indeed.
 
Rana said:
The owner is going to sign the cheques ofc he would want to pick the squad!

But yes, they lack creativity in decision making
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Not really. Some of the owners choose to have no input and leave it to their management.
 
Really good pace battery and hitting power at the top. Decent consolidators in the middle but no spinner other than Imad, considering that Usama Mir is likely to get hit ( Karamat Ali or Irfan would have been better picks). What really kills the team is though lower-order strikers. Aamir yamin? sohail khan? hold back awaiz zia? Even if they are 100/3 in 10 (with munro out) I would not expect them to get more than 75 in the back 10.
 
ameemlutfi said:
Really good pace battery and hitting power at the top. Decent consolidators in the middle but no spinner other than Imad, considering that Usama Mir is likely to get hit ( Karamat Ali or Irfan would have been better picks). What really kills the team is though lower-order strikers. Aamir yamin? sohail khan? hold back awaiz zia? Even if they are 100/3 in 10 (with munro out) I would not expect them to get more than 75 in the back 10.
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Ingram, Ben Dunk & Liam Livingston are capable of playing at a high strike rate.
 
Livingstone seems like a decent pick, but I dont trust these aussie batsmen to come good on slow tracks. Ingram hasnt dont much thus far would be surprised if he stands out this season.
 
After seeing Iftikhar play for KK in the first season I thought the KK managed might have learned a thing or two. Turned out, they are just a bit thick and slow.
 
mak36 said:
Not really. Some of the owners choose to have no input and leave it to their management.
Click to expand...

This guy wants to milk the limelight more than SRK would. Comes across as a decent bloke but clearly PSL is his time to shine and get ARY some big ratings. But his choice is too bland and there seems to be a lot of friends circles that he needs to accommodate in his selections.
 
solid squad - Munro, Ingram, Babar will carry the batting
Amir, Shinwari, Imad will carry the bowling

they have solid complimentary players in Bopara, Ifti, Usama Mir, Sohail Khan...

really looking forward to seeing Ali Imran - lot of eyes will be on him
 
Truth be told I am a bit happy that we've gone with these unusual picks and due to this the expectations would be low. Plus mid-tier players don't bring egos into a squad so gelling is relatively easy and the coach can execute his plans accordingly.

Also, I am pretty surprised how many people have written 'Hope they lose/thrashed' - I know there is a severe dislike for Karachi here, but like seriously? Aren't competitive matches in the PSL amongst all teams make the tournament worthwhile and interesting as a whole?

LQ finished last in all three seasons but never did I ever wish them to be thrashed or something? People take this 3-week tournament way too seriously and most often than not their biases surface for all of us to see (first hand).

Ajeeb log Hain Yar!
 
ahmedwaqas92 said:
Truth be told I am a bit happy that we've gone with these unusual picks and due to this the expectations would be low. Plus mid-tier players don't bring egos into a squad so gelling is relatively easy and the coach can execute his plans accordingly.

Also, I am pretty surprised how many people have written 'Hope they lose/thrashed' - I know there is a severe dislike for Karachi here, but like seriously? Aren't competitive matches in the PSL amongst all teams make the tournament worthwhile and interesting as a whole?

LQ finished last in all three seasons but never did I ever wish them to be thrashed or something? People take this 3-week tournament way too seriously and most often than not their biases surface for all of us to see (first hand).
at will
Ajeeb log Hain Yar!
Click to expand...
I will say agai I hope they get thrashed for their picks like Jahid ali and many more and I Ambar right because That will be reminder for their management to do pick players like Isd does.
 
DRsohail said:
I will say agai I hope they get thrashed for their picks like Jahid ali and many more and I Ambar right because That will be reminder for their management to do pick players like Isd does.
Click to expand...

Obviously, you're entitled to your opinion as I am for mine but I would never wish a Franchise bad fortune just because I don't like their picks. You do understand PSL franchises are privately owned entities and they have every right to pick anyone they want.

Yes, criticizing the picks that I a totally ok with it as I too am not happy with some of the selections but condemning them to get thrashed, just becaue of some weird bias a person might have is plain old (and I'll put this in a way most people here will understand) is CHILDISH.

Anyways carry on with whatever you guys do here on a daily basis........
 
The 25-year-old, who stepped down as captain of Lancashire earlier in the month, has been picked as a ‘supplementary’ player for the competition, which begins on 14 February next year.

Livingstone will be playing alongside some of the biggest names in world cricket, with Karachi’s squad including Pakistan internationals Mohammad Amir and Babar Azam.

Among their ‘overseas’ stars in their ranks are big-hitting New Zealander Colin Munro, South Africa’s Colin Ingram and former England all-rounder Ravi Bopara.


Other big names who will be involved in the PSL include former Australia captain Steve Smith, AB de Villiers, who was the No.1 pick for Lahore Qalanders, and West Indies international Dwayne Bravo.

Livingstone has earned his chance in what is the fourth edition of the competition off the back of his spectacular performances in this year’s Vitality Blast, as he averaged over 45 in helping Lancashire to reach the semi-finals.

His form with the red ball suffered during last season, however, as he averaged just 24 in a campaign that ended with the Red Rose’s relegation from Division One of the County Championship, leading to him relinquishing the captaincy so he could focus on his form.

He is currently touring with the England Lions for their series with Pakistan A, although he didn’t feature in their four-day game in Abu Dhabi.

https://www.nwemail.co.uk/sport/172...karachi-kings-for-2019-pakistan-super-league/
 
Iftikhar ahmed and Sikandar raza. :facepalm:

Lets hope this time they perform better.
 
ahmedwaqas92 said:
Truth be told I am a bit happy that we've gone with these unusual picks and due to this the expectations would be low. Plus mid-tier players don't bring egos into a squad so gelling is relatively easy and the coach can execute his plans accordingly.

Also, I am pretty surprised how many people have written 'Hope they lose/thrashed' - I know there is a severe dislike for Karachi here, but like seriously? Aren't competitive matches in the PSL amongst all teams make the tournament worthwhile and interesting as a whole?

LQ finished last in all three seasons but never did I ever wish them to be thrashed or something? People take this 3-week tournament way too seriously and most often than not their biases surface for all of us to see (first hand).

Ajeeb log Hain Yar!
Click to expand...

I’m from Karachi and it really hurts to see this pathetic team selection. So I hope they loose all their games and I also hope that ultimately Salman Iqbal sells this team to someone who can actually build this team into a formidable unit.
 
Karachi Kings – The side on a rise in HBL PSL


Lahore, 4 February 2019:

Karachi Kings’ success graph is rising in the HBL Pakistan Super League. The Kings had a dismal first year in 2016 when they won only two games and finished fourth in the points table, but after that, they have finished third and second in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

If that trend is anything to go by, the Kings will be favorites to top the points table in the fourth HBL PSL in which they will play their first game against Multan Sultans on February 15 in Dubai.

Last year, the Kings were hampered due to injuries to their two key players – the captain Imad Wasim and the all-rounder Shahid Afridi. Lahore rain curtailed their eliminator against Peshawar Zalmi to a 16-over-a-side affair, which also didn’t help their cause as they were knocked out before the final.

Although they will miss the services of Afridi this season as the all-rounder has joined Multan Sultans, the return of Imad and his form are a welcome sign for them.

The left-arm spinner was player-of-the-match on his international return earlier this season when he took three for 20 against Australia in a T20I in Dubai. Pakistan clean swept Australia and New Zealand 3-0 in T20Is at the back of his economical bowling (5.83) in six matches.

“I am very excited to play the HBL PSL four and looking forward to captaining Karachi Kings. This time we are going to play at our home ground as well and I am looking forward to that as well. We will try our level best to perform in the tournament,” said Imad Wasim, the captain of Karachi Kings.

The Kings will be looking at him to emulate the same economy-rate, especially if he takes the new ball with Mohammad Amir, another bowler with a staggering economy rate in the PowerPlay. Amir in overs 1-6 in HBL PSLs has conceded at a rate of just 5.64 per over, and if he bowls in tandem with the captain, they could form the best opening duo of the tournament.

The Kings could potentially have the best opening pair in batting too. The ICC’s top two ranked batmen, Babar Azam and Colin Munro, both are on the Kings’ roster and likely to the start the innings together. Babar this season became the fastest to 1,000 runs in T20Is breaking Virat Kohli’s record, while Munro’s career strike-rate (161.82) is highest for any batsman with, at least, 1,000 runs in T20Is.

Colin Ingram is another overseas talent who will be keen to take his form from the Big Bash League to the HBL PSL. Ingram has scored 333 runs at a strike-rate of 138.75 in the ongoing tournament in Australia and due to the value he brings in the middle-order, he was one of those players the Kings retained before the draft

A huge plus point for Karachi Kings this season is the availability of their foreign players. Except for Colin Munro (who misses the first week due to national commitments), all of Karachi’s players are likely to be available throughout the tournamen.

Colin Ingram, Karachi King’s middle-order batsman, said: “Really excited to get back again. Last year it was my first season and I really enjoyed it. Fairly enjoyed the company of the guys in the Karachi Kings. Hopefully this year we can go all the way as I look forward to see Karachi as well.

The Kings surely have the power to be among the best teams in the coming tournament and bearing in mind that the final is in Karachi it will be a surreal experience for their fans to see them perform in the final at the National Stadium.

Squad (as per pick order):

Overseas: Colin Munro (New Zealand), Colin Ingram (South Africa), Ravi Bopara (England), Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), Aaron Summers (Australia), Ben Dunk (Australia), Liam Livingstone (England).

Local: Mohammad Amir, Babar Azam, Imad Wasim, Usman Shinwari, Mohammad Rizwan, Awais Zia, Usama Mir, Sohail Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ali Imran, Abrar Ahmed, Aamer Yamin, Jaahid Ali, Umer Khan.


Schedule of matches:



15 February – v Multan Sultans (d), Sharjah

16 February – v Lahore Qalandars (n), Dubai

21 February – v Peshawar Zalmi (n), Sharjah

23 February – v Islamabad United (n), Sharjah

24 February – v Quetta Gladiators (n), Sharjah

27 February – v Islamabad United (n), Dubai

28 February – v Lahore Qalandars (n), Dubai

4 March – v Multan Sultan (n), Abu Dhabi

7 March – v Peshawar Zalmi (n), Karachi

10 March – v Quetta Gladiators (d), Karachi
 
Karachi Kings to unveil new kit for PSL 2019A on 9th February.
 
Karachi Kings’ star batsman, Colin Ingram said he was disappointed to miss out on the chance to play at the home ground, National Stadium Karachi in PSL 2018.

Karachi Kings faced Peshawar Zalmi in the playoffs at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore but lost the game on the D/L method which stopped them from playing final in Karachi.

“It was one of the things I was quite disappointed about, last year we could not get Kings as a team to Karachi,” said Colin Ingram. “So massively looking forward to that, it is really important for us to pitch up in our home city and make our fans proud.”

The South African left-handed flamboyant batsman has all praise for Karachi Kings. He hailed how organized the team is and their ethics. He believes the strength of the side is their pool of local players.

“We played really nicely, the strength of our squad is a really strong local base, there are some superstars who have been doing really nice in Pakistan side, it is great to join them again,” he said.

Talking about the standard of the league, Ingram was stunned by the quality of bowling in the Pakistan Super League and he believes it is quite challenging for batsmen.

“The thing that struck me was the strength of the bowling attacks,” he said. “Not saying that there are weak attacks out there, but coming to the PSL, every attack has really strong seamers, mixed them with a couple of wily spinners and few of the young guys coming through like Shadab [Khan].”

The 33-year old batsman is hoping that with the new faces that have joined the squad alongside the core players, Kings will go all the way to rule the fourth edition of the league.

Ingram talked about the time when he had to decide whether he will travel with Karachi Kings to play the games scheduled in Lahore and Karachi during PSL 3.

“It was not a tough decision for me, being a part of a tournament, you realize the bigger goals, obviously getting cricket back into Pakistan [was one of them],” he said. “Having young guys watching the game, coming down to the local ground and watching their heroes is very important.”

He mentioned that he was grown up in South Africa, where they had their own share of challenges so he could relate the effects of these problems on the community.

Moreover, he was surprised to see the overwhelming response he and other foreign players got from the local cricket fans. He was awestruck with the humbleness of people towards them.

“Even the day before we arrived, the hype, the size of the banners of players in the streets and you realize how hungry the Pakistani community is for cricket,” he said. “At the ground, it was an absolute festival.”

“It was a sort of rain-affected game, they took extreme measures, they brought the helicopter to dry the field and then the crowd stuck around, unfortunately, we could not win that game, but it was a great game to be a part of,” he recalled.

https://arysports.tv/looking-forward-play-karachi-colin-ingram/
 
Dy-ADVlW0AAqJf9.jpg


From the Kit/Anthem launch ceremony in Karachi
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Head Coach <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MickeyArthur?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MickeyArthur</a> is here at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamLaunch?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamLaunch</a> event of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KarachiKings?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KarachiKings</a> for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HBLPSL4?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HBLPSL4</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HappeningNow?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HappeningNow</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PCHotelKhi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PCHotelKhi</a><br>Stay connected to our social media accounts for latest updates! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeDhanaDhan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DeDhanaDhan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KingsRoar?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KingsRoar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KarachiKingsKaZorInPSL4?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KarachiKingsKaZorInPSL4</a> <a href="https://t.co/gOHLu7KXGa">pic.twitter.com/gOHLu7KXGa</a></p>— Karachi Kings (@KarachiKingsARY) <a href="https://twitter.com/KarachiKingsARY/status/1094235302732931073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KingOfSwing?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KingOfSwing</a> & President Karachi Kings <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WasimAkram?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WasimAkram</a> is here at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamLaunch?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamLaunch</a> event of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KarachiKings?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KarachiKings</a> for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HBLPSL4?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HBLPSL4</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HappeningNow?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HappeningNow</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PCHotelKhi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PCHotelKhi</a><br>Stay connected to our social media accounts for latest updates! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeDhanaDhan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DeDhanaDhan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KingsRoar?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KingsRoar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KarachiKingsKaZorInPSL4?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KarachiKingsKaZorInPSL4</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/wasimakramlive?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wasimakramlive</a> <a href="https://t.co/DrwvCLDOzm">pic.twitter.com/DrwvCLDOzm</a></p>— Karachi Kings (@KarachiKingsARY) <a href="https://twitter.com/KarachiKingsARY/status/1094237363570642944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Dy96NfYW0AMC8AT.jpg
 
Last edited:
ahmedwaqas92 said:
Truth be told I am a bit happy that we've gone with these unusual picks and due to this the expectations would be low. Plus mid-tier players don't bring egos into a squad so gelling is relatively easy and the coach can execute his plans accordingly.

Also, I am pretty surprised how many people have written 'Hope they lose/thrashed' - I know there is a severe dislike for Karachi here, but like seriously? Aren't competitive matches in the PSL amongst all teams make the tournament worthwhile and interesting as a whole?

LQ finished last in all three seasons but never did I ever wish them to be thrashed or something? People take this 3-week tournament way too seriously and most often than not their biases surface for all of us to see (first hand).

Ajeeb log Hain Yar!
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Beautiful post
 
With Wasim in the Karachi set up, I hope Amir will be able to regain the swing that he has lost.
 
Babar and Munro opening partnership will be killer, against all teams except Lahore that is.
 
It's certainly not the worst squad as I have been hearing.

Babar, Munro, and Ingram are all very good T20 Bats.

Amir, Usama Mir, and Imad are also great bowling options. However, I feel Imad will get tonked for more than he has been in the recent T20I's because he won't be bowling to complete duds against Spin.
 
Babar and Munro are top ranked T20I batsmen while I think Ingram and Livingstone are being underestimated. Ingram has been in top form in T20 leagues while Livingstone is one of the best upcoming batsmen in England who has played couple of T20 internationals and has been really close to selection in Test and ODIs as well.

Obviously Babar, Munro, Imad and Amir will be the key players.
 
If Babar and Munro fire it will be amazing.
And Imad with his economical bowling and Amir who is good in t20s and will perhaps improve further under Wasim Akram will be they key.A quality spinner would have been ideal.

Some weak picks but then some strong players too.So all in all looking forward to KKs performances.
 
Green Patriot said:
If Babar and Munro fire it will be amazing.
And Imad with his economical bowling and Amir who is good in t20s and will perhaps improve further under Wasim Akram will be they key.A quality spinner would have been ideal.

Some weak picks but then some strong players too.So all in all looking forward to KKs performances.
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Usama Mir. He is bowling with much better control and confidence and is consistently bowling that fuller length.
 
I think Karachi Kings have the most balanced squad and should be favourites this year. Also hope Imad does well so he can replace Sarfraz as T20I captain.
 
mak36 said:
Usama Mir. He is bowling with much better control and confidence and is consistently bowling that fuller length.
Click to expand...

His domestic stats arent really that impressive but lets see what he does.
 
WhatsApp Image 2019-02-12 at 16.35.21.jpgWhatsApp Image 2019-02-12 at 16.35.23.jpg

Team Warm Up before the practice match tonight against Peshawar Zalmi
 
In the Warm up match between KK and PZ at ICCA yesterday, Karachi Kings won the match by 5 wickets and 1 over to spare.

IMG-20190213-WA0053.jpgIMG-20190213-WA0056.jpgIMG-20190213-WA0057.jpg
 
With Babar's improvement in the t20 format it makes KK a bit more stronger than the last time. Exctied to see whether Babar can keep up with what he showed in the t20 series
 
Hard to cheer for them really I always supported Karachi Kings during PSL, but this year it seems difficult to do so.
 
I'm getting the feeling that Awais Zia is going to open with Babar in the first few matches. Pathetic.
 
Is there anyone from Karachi in KK team? Really it is disappointing to see franchises ignoring local talent.
 
ISLAMABAD: Karachi Kings president and former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram on Thursday said the head coach of the team Mickey Arthur believed in fighting till the last ball.

“We hope Karachi Kings will perform better in this [PSL] session and would battle till the last ball,” fast bowling icon Wasim said while talking to a private news channel.

Karachi Kings, led by Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim, launch their PSL-4 campaign on Friday against Multan Sultans in Dubai.

Wasim, who retired from international cricket after the 2003 World Cup, reckoned the Kings did not need big names like A.B. de Villiers or Kieron Pollard, but it had picked up useful players. Moreover, he stressed upon the Kings’ players to show their best in fielding.

“If you have a strong fielding unit, you will win matches in the long run, the environment is nice and relaxed, we are not under any sort of pressure,” he said.

Wasim urged bowlers to adopt the right mindset including Mohammad Amir, who, he said, seemed to have lost his magic a bit.

“Amir is swinging ball in the nets, I have discussed it with bowlers and I believe, they have a defensive mindset, they do not take chances in the first six overs to swing the ball,” Wasim said.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1463844/karachi-kings-to-fight-till-last-ball-wasim-akram
 
233a9e9b-cf31-49e8-93f0-c42bf1399be2.jpg

Aaron Summers from Australia has joined Karachi Kings.
 
Nobody knew the name Aaron Summers until he clocked 150kph in his Big Bash debut for Hobart Hurricane on 21 December 2017.

Despite returning a lackluster 3-0-31-0 figures against Melbourne Renegades, Summers caught the eyes for consistently hitting 150plus on the speed gun. In late November 2018, he was thrown in the deep against batting powerhouse of India, conceding 95 and 25 in wicket-less overs in a four-day game.

But it was a learning phase for Summers who had tried his hands at baseball, football, tee ball and softball, before his love for fast bowling and mates not playing football with him in the summer, pushed him into cricket.

Karachi Kings signed the 22-year-old purely for his fast bowling.

“I started playing cricket at 13 and am enjoying a lot as my mates were playing cricket in the summer, they didn’t play football with me (in summer) so I took to cricket which is the sports of the summer in Australia,” Summers said.

“I started playing cricket in the backyard with my cousins and always wanted to bowl fast like Shaun Taits, Brett Lees, Mitchell Johnsons and Shoaib Akhtars of the world,” said Summers, who built broad and strong shoulders by playing different games.

So how and when he got to know that he was picked up in the HBL PSL draft.

Listening to the players’ draft on the net when two hours into the draft, Karachi Kings snapped him up in the Silver category. He joins the likes of Colin Ingram, Colin Munro, Mohammad Amir, Ravi Bopara, Imad Wasim and Ben Dunk to name a few.

But for Summers, the most exciting name to meet is legendary Pakistan paceman Wasim Akram.

“I am very excited to be the part of the HBL PSL, its one of the biggest leagues in the world, something that I have watched in the previous seasons,” said Summers.

“Hopefully I can play well for Karachi Kings.

“The experience of playing the first game in the Big Bash was exciting. I grew up watching the BBL, being a member of the Perth Scorchers as a kid and watching games on TV.

Brought up in Perth and playing for Tasmania, Summers grew up playing ball games, football in winters; T-ball, softball and baseball in summers but bowling fast is what he loved the most. Intimidating batsmen and bowling as quick as he can.

Summers knows bowling on the dry pitches in UAE would be a big challenge.

“I have never been to the UAE or Pakistan before but I have played in the heat and humidity in Darwin, so hopefully that helps me! I am well aware the pitches won’t bounce as much and will be slower so I’m going to be hopefully using my slower balls to good effect.”

So the most exciting moment will be when he meets Wasim.

“I’m excited to meet Wasim. I know he is an absolute genius with the ball and is a big figure in Pakistani cricket, hopefully, I can learn something from him as well. I’m going to put my name up for the IPL auction and potentially a few more T20 tournaments that are in the Australian winter.”

So how was the experience of bowling to the Indian batsmen, known for their powerful batting.

“Yeah, bowling to the Indian side was very challenging,” said Summers of the match he played for Cricket Australia XI.

“I haven’t played four-day cricket and it probably wasn't my format so it was a big challenge thrown against Indians, the likes of Virat Kohli and the rest of the Indians. It was awesome and a great experience and, hopefully, I get another chance to do well.”

Summers love fast bowling so follow most of the fast bowlers who bowled over 150kph.

“My favourite fast bowlers growing up were express bowlers like Taits, Shoaib Akhtars, Johnsons, Brett Lees of the world - most of the Australians - I loved watching them as I always wanted bowling fast.”

Wednesday’s fixture (Monday and Tuesday are rest days):

Quetta Gladiators v Multan Sultans, Sharjah (9pm)



Thursday’s fixture:

Peshawar Zalmi v Karachi Kings, Sharjah (9pm)
 
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