Square Drive
Test Star
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2011
- Runs
- 37,660
Reporter: First of all Square Drive, many congratulations. From being at the bottom of the table to that mid-season resurgence, and then going on to be the winners. How do you feel?
SD: First of all I'd like to thank the Almighty for this achievement. Definitely, at one stage it seemed as if we were down and out of this tournament. But full credit goes to skipper [MENTION=137764]Manager101[/MENTION] and the way he managed the team, re-allocated contracts and put faith in each and every one of us to bring the best out of us. I truly feel as if this was a team effort. Almost every game we had a different star performer which made us standout, in that we weren't too reliant on any one player.
We had [MENTION=133998]Azzurri[/MENTION] finish off some games for us.
[MENTION=139075]Hadi Rizvi[/MENTION] knows the art of pacing an innings better than anybody in world cricket at the moment, which he displayed once again today in the all-important game. 
Then we had [MENTION=53948]ritzy_123[/MENTION], who has been the most consistent performer for us. He was batting amazingly well even at the start of the season when others such as myself were failing. And then that clutch gene which he has, as he showed today - simply outstanding 
Haider Ali - what can I say about him? This guy is a star in the making. Will play 100 Tests, 300+ ODIs and 150+ T20Is for Pakistan, proving there are no more COVID pandemics to stop him 
Super talent. As for myself, I'm glad I was able to turn it around after skipper gave me some confidence (as well as the platinum contract my heart longed for 
), which resulted in myself scoring in some of the crucial games at the back-end. Special mention to our bowlers as well - it's not easy bowling on flat tracks day in and day out, but they showed they can get it done for us on any track. The way [MENTION=134789]maddgenius[/MENTION] showed his wicket-taking ability today was very impressive. Hasan did a fantastic job replacing Wahab midway through the season. We had [MENTION=54243]Azlan Khan[/MENTION] put on an impressive show, especially today in the all-important game, which also include his resistance with the bat. [MENTION=83056]shahidafridi123[/MENTION] came back well today and took some key wickets in the knockouts for us
. [MENTION=142036]Hamad_H[/MENTION] tried very hard 
, and in spite of what the haters have to say, you can't forget the way he defended those runs in the final over in game 1 of the season, which was such an important win for us. Special mention to Shoaib Malik for the way he handled drinks throughout the tournament - he should look for another job come 2021, though 
And finally, well done to [MENTION=137764]Manager101[/MENTION] - he kept his average at a steady 4.67 throughout the tournament, but his shrewed tactics and genius captaincy went a long way in getting us this silverware
Reporter: Well said SD. Going back to your comments on Manager101, do you see the franchise retaining him next season? What do you think was the reason behind his poor performances?
SD: I think with Manager, he had some issues that nobody really knows about. Sometimes he would come to my room and tell me he saw a ghost
. Other times I'd catch him opening up incognito mode an hour before the game and quickly tilting his phone away when he caught me looking. I did catch him low on energy afterwards as well so you can connect the dots 
But I mean, who doesn't retain a captain that just won you the trophy!? That's nonsense! Next question please 
Reporter: Let's go back a couple of weeks. If you lost today's game, would you regret not joining Karachi?
SD: To be honest, as a Karachi lad, Karachi holds a very special place in my heart.
On top of that, some of my very good friends [MENTION=55088]Watsupdoc[/MENTION] and [MENTION=151892]Thunderbolt14[/MENTION] - who played a huge role in motivating me at the back end of the tournament - were also in Karachi, which definitely made a spot on that roster a very attractive prospect for me. But at the end of the team, Zalmi, led by Mr. Javed Afridi is #KhpalTeam and I have a very strong bond with everyone here, so I'm really happy I decided to stay here. On top of that, Mahira Khan - enough said 
Reporter: Going back to your friendship with Doc and Thunderbolt, how profitable was this friendship for you?
SD: Topak za ma kanoon - next question please
Reporter: SD, I know the boys are waiting for you but I have a couple of questions before I let you go. How electric was the atmosphere in today's game?
SD: Honestly, it was one of the best atmospheres I've come across as a professional cricketer. The crowd was very balanced and friendly - no cash register sounds for me when I was fielding near the boundary.
I really loved the hospitality by [MENTION=135839]Smbhayi[/MENTION] [MENTION=144551]Geil[/MENTION] and co, who by the way played some fabulous cricket throughout the tournament. The crowd egged me on as I played my fantastic cameo today - something you haven't asked me about but I'll bring it up anyway, as those 14 runs on a spicy pitch were worth their weight in gold 
Overall, couldn't expect a better atmosphere than the one we had today.Reporter: SD, where do you go after this?
SD: Off to the Bahamas, where I have a long line up of girls waiting for me.
After that, we have PPCL coming up which I am really excited for.Reporter: Any plans on captaincy?
SD: Let's see - it's a challenge I've enjoyed in the past and I'd be willing to take it on again. Lightning Hawks CC remains very close to my heart so that's something I have an interest in reviving, but let's see - you all should have the details very soon!
Reporter: Thanks a lot for your time, SD, and enjoy the evening!
SD: Thanks guys, but before we go I really wanna thank [MENTION=128087]last_knight[/MENTION] first and foremost for the brilliant idea of bringing this league back. And then of course the way [MENTION=53377]jeetu[/MENTION] [MENTION=40952]Batman[/MENTION] and [MENTION=135989]world cup captain[/MENTION] ran thinks was nothing short of brilliant. These guys are the best at what they do and none of this would be possible without them!
After that, I wanna thank all the captains and active players - namely [MENTION=70195]AFM[/MENTION] [MENTION=152120]TrentDevil[/MENTION] [MENTION=135839]Smbhayi[/MENTION] [MENTION=144551]Geil[/MENTION] [MENTION=139354]TeymurBlake[/MENTION] [MENTION=55088]Watsupdoc[/MENTION] [MENTION=151892]Thunderbolt14[/MENTION] [MENTION=135989]world cup captain[/MENTION] [MENTION=147674]The Viper[/MENTION] [MENTION=139314]ARK Rafay[/MENTION] [MENTION=128087]last_knight[/MENTION], and of course all the Zalmi lads, as well as anyone else I may have missed - you guys made the league what it is. Thank you guys!
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