Who is to blame for Karachi Kings' failure to reach the Play-Offs stage of PSL 8?

[MenInG]

At start of the season, a lot was made of Babar Azam's move away from the franchise and a new beginning was forecast. Clearly that did not help or change the outcome.

Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim, the 2 KK stalwarts did make their presence felt but the fact is that Karachi have once again failed to get to the Play-Offs stage which is devastating for me as a Karachi fan.

So who is to blame? Could it be the people who selected the squad aka Wasim Akram and his staff? Or was it simply a case of mismanagement of good resources by Imad Wasim?

Lots to discuss.

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

They say success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan. Well, KK’s failure is down to the following fathers: (will do separate posts to avoid TLDR-ness)

1) The Karachi management - Drafting a squad is not an art, but it does require clear priorities and joined up thinking. Which you just don’t see from KK. They need to take massive responsibility in building a squad that was either past it, or woefully misused. Unless they completely change the decision makers on top, this will happen next year as well.

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

2) Imad Wasim’s captaincy - Imad has had a stellar season with the bat. But let’s not confuse that with his captaincy. Because Imad has been the worst captain at this PSL. Yes, even worse than Sarfi.


- Getting early wickets in multiple games and then releasing the pressure w/ his defensive tactics

- Chopping and changing every game. Every game. Limiting continuity in the team.

- Creating the sort of poor dressing room atmosphere that made players perform within themselves, rather than above themselves

- Persisting w/ seniors rather than trusting young players (Tahir, Malik etc.)

- Shuffling around the batting order all the time, so that there was never any continuity.

Yes, Karachi has an ok squad at best. But a better captain would have made this lot better than the sum of their parts. Instead, they’ll probably finish bottom. That’s all on Imad

 

[Rana]

Individual players and not team players

Simple as

 

[MenInG]

Individual players and not team players

Simple as

Were they added in the squad by magic or someone Okayed their inclusion? If they were not performing well, were they taken to task and dropped etc?

 

[Rana]

Were they added in the squad by magic or someone Okayed their inclusion? If they were not performing well, were they taken to task and dropped etc?

No. Imad has a lot of questions to answer himself. He should still be the captain but there needs to be some accountability

1. Imad and Amir achieved their personal goal of proving they are still Pakistan international quality players, but they didn’t win enough games and shelled 2-3 easy wins

2. Imad’s panic/inconsistency in selection is also to blame.

+no mercy shown towards Sharjeel, Qasim Akram and Fuller

But Malik, Cutting and Wade given over the top backing

3. The trade of Babar was handled poorly. Yes Babar had to go, but who did you get in return? Haider in the platinum category and Malik as an extra…that was 100% poor business. The only worthy trade of Babar was Fakhar Zaman.

KK should have released Babar and not traded him, and then pick Fakhar in the draft who is always released by LQ

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

No. Imad has a lot of questions to answer himself. He should still be the captain but there needs to be some accountability

1. Imad and Amir achieved their personal goal of proving they are still Pakistan international quality players, but they didn’t win enough games and shelled 2-3 easy wins

2. Imad’s panic/inconsistency in selection is also to blame.

+no mercy shown towards Sharjeel, Qasim Akram and Fuller

But Malik, Cutting and Wade given over the top backing

3. The trade of Babar was handled poorly. Yes Babar had to go, but who did you get in return? Haider in the platinum category and Malik as an extra…that was 100% poor business. The only worthy trade of Babar was Fakhar Zaman.

KK should have released Babar and not traded him, and then pick Fakhar in the draft who is always released by LQ

I think you’ve pointed to a larger problem itself.

KK could never have picked Fakhar because LQ had the first draft pick in the platinum category.

It’s mad that LQ got first pick despite being champions. It’s because the PCB randomise draft picks, instead of letting the worst teams from the previous year choose first, like they do in America. This way you ensure that teams are levelling up, rather than the gap in squad strength getting larger.

Another problem is the release of the draft picking order. Don’t know if this is true, but they should only release the draft picking order AFTER teams have made their 8 retentions. Because if the drafting order is released before the retentions are made, Lahore can just pretend to release Fakhar and then pick him again because they have first pick in the draft. It’s stupid.

 

[Babeikh]

Imad Wasim was too focused on taking 'dig after dig' at Babar Azam. Bottom line is he didn't cut it, his team didn't cut it. Hope they finish bottom.

 

[Rana]

Imad Wasim was too focused on taking 'dig after dig' at Babar Azam. Bottom line is he didn't cut it, his team didn't cut it. Hope they finish bottom.

Imad was right. Whether they finish at the bottom or not does not change the fact that whatever his thoughts were about Babar and individual performances not benefitting team goals is right. 100% right.

Unfortunately for him, he unknowingly now looks like what he criticised Babar of doing.

Poetic justice. But the premise of his criticism is 100% correct

 

[Rana]

1 thing we have established over the years, what makes a successful campaign?

RELIABLE, DYNAMIC OVERSEAS MIDDLE ORDER BATSMEN

Karachi haven’t had any in the past two years

Their no.1 priority should be to find guys like TKC, David, Russow, Brook, Raza, Miller, Munro, RVD to fill that void for them

That will help deal with the lull they suffer every time from overs 7-13

 

[Babeikh]

Imad was right. Whether they finish at the bottom or not does not change the fact that whatever his thoughts were about Babar and individual performances not benefitting team goals is right. 100% right.

Unfortunately for him, he unknowingly now looks like what he criticised Babar of doing.

Poetic justice. But the premise of his criticism is 100% correct

Separate topic whether he was right or wrong but when you are going to start taking digs at people, you have to back it up otherwise, as you say, there is a danger of ending up with egg on your face. What he needed to do was hunker down and just get on with it, instead Karachi have been humiliated and Peshawar are in the playoffs.

 

[Rana]

Separate topic whether he was right or wrong but when you are going to start taking digs at people, you have to back it up otherwise, as you say, there is a danger of ending up with egg on your face. What he needed to do was hunker down and just get on with it, instead Karachi have been humiliated and Peshawar are in the playoffs.

He’s clearly a vocal, emotional guy. Not very diplomatic

He probably also feels aggrieved at being dropped unnecessarily by the management (which Babar has a say in) and the illogical inclusion of Usman Qadir as the traveling spinner with Shadab whilst Imad not considered good enough to travel with Nawaz in the side

1 thing he did do in this tournament is bust the theory that Rizwan’s T20 average in general is not due to him actually being the best batsman in the world. Imad is averaging close to 200 with over 350 runs in the tournament and a strike rate of 180

If you want to go down this route of players batting through, Imad is a better choice than Babar+Rizwan to open on statistics.

 

[Babeikh]

Imad has had a good tournament (as has Rizwan) with the bat but doesn't open the innings. Clearly has a different role and responsibility in the team. No team has 11 guys who bat with 180+ strike rates all the time and if you are seriously going to suggest Imad is better than Babar or even Riz when he isn't fit to even clean their chappals, then I can only shake my head and sigh.

If he is vocal and emotional he needs to learn how to channel that energy without getting raw egg on his face, dripping off his hair.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

The squad assembly was poor to begin with but then many of their top players also failed completely.

Sharjeel, Amir, Malik, Haider should have been the backbone of the team but didn't contribute much ( if anything).

The overseas picks were baffling and all pretty much failed in crunch games.

Their best pick was Shamsi who didn't play at the start and sadly they lost Vince too.

Most knowledgable posters knew that Karachi Kings were going to fail before a ball had even been bowled. Only those who held a grudge against Babar/Rizwan felt they could do anything.

When there is so much wrong with a side it shows they have no planning,strategy or direction.

So I am laying the blame squarely at the feet of the owners and Wasim Akram.

 

[Rana]

Imad has had a good tournament (as has Rizwan) with the bat but doesn't open the innings. Clearly has a different role and responsibility in the team. No team has 11 guys who bat with 180+ strike rates all the time and if you are seriously going to suggest Imad is better than Babar or even Riz when he isn't fit to even clean their chappals, then I can only shake my head and sigh.

If he is vocal and emotional he needs to learn how to channel that energy without getting raw egg on his face, dripping off his hair.

Imad is a better T20 batsman than both Babar and Rizwan combined

He can bat like them, but they can’t bat like him.

 

[Rana]

It takes a special kind of ignorance to not know the difference between haqeeqat and raye

It takes a special kind of ignorance to not accept reality

Something very evident in Pakistan fans since Mickey was sacked and Babar was empowered

 

[Major]

Imad wasim

 

[Major]

No. Imad has a lot of questions to answer himself. He should still be the captain but there needs to be some accountability

1. Imad and Amir achieved their personal goal of proving they are still Pakistan international quality players, but they didn’t win enough games and shelled 2-3 easy wins

2. Imad’s panic/inconsistency in selection is also to blame.

+no mercy shown towards Sharjeel, Qasim Akram and Fuller

But Malik, Cutting and Wade given over the top backing

3. The trade of Babar was handled poorly. Yes Babar had to go, but who did you get in return? Haider in the platinum category and Malik as an extra…that was 100% poor business. The only worthy trade of Babar was Fakhar Zaman.

KK should have released Babar and not traded him, and then pick Fakhar in the draft who is always released by LQ

First of all. Whether you like it or not, Babar Azam is an asset. You dont throw assets away, you trade them. You get something valuable in return.

Babar Azam could had fetched them any player they wanted. If KK wanted to focus on brand building and not winning, they could had gone for Sarfraz Ahmed. From LQ they could had gone for Fakhar Zaman and or one of the pace bowlers.

From LQ they could had gotten their player batter back, Mohammad Harris.

But instead Imad's team made the worst possible trade. While they got their assets in return for Babar, but one was a guy who is past his expiration date, and the other one is an over hyped guy who someone got himself placed in plantinum group.

Peshawar screwed with KK on purpose, they could had opt for a reduction of group, but instead got him platinum and than traded him away.

Also, Lahore released Fakhar because what they do is they usually had the first draft pick, or were able to trade for the first draft pick and retain Fakhar Zaman that way.

 

[Rana]

First of all. Whether you like it or not, Babar Azam is an asset. You dont throw assets away, you trade them. You get something valuable in return.

Babar Azam could had fetched them any player they wanted. If KK wanted to focus on brand building and not winning, they could had gone for Sarfraz Ahmed. From LQ they could had gone for Fakhar Zaman and or one of the pace bowlers.

From LQ they could had gotten their player batter back, Mohammad Harris.

But instead Imad's team made the worst possible trade. While they got their assets in return for Babar, but one was a guy who is past his expiration date, and the other one is an over hyped guy who someone got himself placed in plantinum group.

Peshawar screwed with KK on purpose, they could had opt for a reduction of group, but instead got him platinum and than traded him away.

Also, Lahore released Fakhar because what they do is they usually had the first draft pick, or were able to trade for the first draft pick and retain Fakhar Zaman that way.

Yeah I think we have acknowledged the Babar trade was a terrible piece of work

Next season they will probably release Haider, Malik, Tahir, Sharjeel and Wade

3 of those 4 platinum players will not be available in the platinum category so only God knows what kind of players will replace them.

1. Malik will retire or go unpicked
2. Haider will be in the Silver/Gold category
3. Tahir will retire or go unpicked
4. Wade will probably be picked as supplementary if they don’t find a better player
5. Sharjeel has run his course with this franchise

KK better hope next season’s Draft offers some proper international pros or T20 stars that are fully available unlike Hasaranga or Josh Little

 

[Ahmed216]

Whoever picked untalented players like sharjeel, Haider, Malik

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Yeah I think we have acknowledged the Babar trade was a terrible piece of work

Next season they will probably release Haider, Malik, Tahir, Sharjeel and Wade

3 of those 4 platinum players will not be available in the platinum category so only God knows what kind of players will replace them.

1. Malik will retire or go unpicked
2. Haider will be in the Silver/Gold category
3. Tahir will retire or go unpicked
4. Wade will probably be picked as supplementary if they don’t find a better player
5. Sharjeel has run his course with this franchise

KK better hope next season’s Draft offers some proper international pros or T20 stars that are fully available unlike Hasaranga or Josh Little

They would be insane to trade away Haider. Yes, his form has fallen off a cliff, but he’s still young enough to make a comeback.

I think Karachi need to seriously try to copy LQ’s PDP model. There should be enough raw talent in Karachi to give them atleast two players from the squad.

They also need to move Wasim to another position and get a proper director of cricket.

Somebody like Mo Wasim would be ideal, given his success w/ Northern. Don’t see it happening because of Imad/Aamir, but the unless they change the management, this will continue to happen.

They also need to remove Imad from captaincy and draft someone like a Saquib Mahmood and make him captain. Foreign, speaks Urdu and an impressive person.

 

[Major]

Yeah I think we have acknowledged the Babar trade was a terrible piece of work

Next season they will probably release Haider, Malik, Tahir, Sharjeel and Wade

3 of those 4 platinum players will not be available in the platinum category so only God knows what kind of players will replace them.

1. Malik will retire or go unpicked
2. Haider will be in the Silver/Gold category
3. Tahir will retire or go unpicked
4. Wade will probably be picked as supplementary if they don’t find a better player
5. Sharjeel has run his course with this franchise

KK better hope next season’s Draft offers some proper international pros or T20 stars that are fully available unlike Hasaranga or Josh Little

knowing KK, they will be selecting Hussain Talat in Plantinum .

Bro, KK had great players. They had all the talent and let them all go. Rizwan, Babar, Iftikhar, M. Harris, Abrar Ahmad...

The team has self inflicted itself.

This is like if Islamabad united had thrown away faheem ashraf, asif ali and Shadab Khan along with Hales and Munro.

 

[Angrez Pakistani]

KK needs to identify the issues they are having in this team that is preventing them from winning close contested games.
For me there are two to three major issues they have in this squad that is stunting their progress.


Issue 1: Batting not Finishing Games:
They have come close to winning in most of the matches they have lost. It reflects on their NRR. And the issue is not that they lacked power hitters in death overs. It’s that they managed to sabotage their chances in the middle phases of their batting innings.
Prime example was the game against MS where James Vince handed the match on a platter to our middle order and Haider and Malik somehow managed to take the RR at such a level that it became impossible for Imad and co. to finish the job. And they need to get rid of both of them as soon as possible.


Issue 2: Death bowling not good enough:
Looking at their squad, it becomes very apparent that they don’t have the death bowling resources to kill a chase. And it shows in every match they played apart from the 2 games they won. And those games were won so much in the middle phases of their bowling that the ineffectiveness of their death bowling couldn’t be factored in the play. But in the games they lost while defending big totals, their poor death bowling were major culprits. Their most recent game against QG serves as a prime example of that. KK won all phases of their bowling innings but their death bowlers just handed the game back to QG on a silver platter. Amir isn’t as effective in death as he used to be a few years ago. The problem compounds on the other end where there is no one to give him cover. If Amir bowls well, others give runs. If he doesn’t bowl well, KK don’t have an alternative. They have too many new ball bowlers and no death over specialists.

Issue 3: Poor History of Recruitment:
You could make a new PSL team which is better than the KK’s current squad based on the players they have released over the years. And over the years, they have relied on the rejected/non-retained players of other franchises. Their two main players, Imad and Amir have been with them from year one and they have been the ones who have performed well for them over the years. And it’s not that they had smooth sailings in all the seasons they have represented KK. But KK stuck with them because KK believed they were its match winners. It goes to show that you having faith in your players is directly proportional to them performing for you on field.
Now, if you think about it, will someone like Qasim Akram ever feel that way about KK? If you cannot create a bond like that with your emerging players, then you will never let them develop in to the players you want them to be. The same is true for players you are recruiting from other franchises. They never had that bond with their previous franchises and they’ll never have that with you, because they come with a set of beliefs that they just have to do bare minimum for KK to either be retained next year or be picked by someone else next year.

Conclusion:
KK will need to invest in a PDP and scouting program to attract new talent and to keep they’re loyal to them and their brand of cricket. These programs gives you a long time to develop their skills and monitor their progress. It also makes them more loyal to you so they give their 110% for you on field.

 

[Rana]

knowing KK, they will be selecting Hussain Talat in Plantinum .

Bro, KK had great players. They had all the talent and let them all go. Rizwan, Babar, Iftikhar, M. Harris, Abrar Ahmad...

The team has self inflicted itself.

This is like if Islamabad united had thrown away faheem ashraf, asif ali and Shadab Khan along with Hales and Munro.

You can keep saying that the release of Rizwan and Babar was a bad decision, but it was not. They are inconsequential if they cannot play according to their pace and position. So no thanks, they can be someone else’s headache

Iftikhar might have been a poor release but Iftikhar’s PSL record and current performance is nothing to write home about

Harris and Abrar, well time will tell. Abrar can’t get into the IU side so not sure how that’s KK’s fault.

Then again, you keep saying all of these things which you would not have if KK got across the line in those 4 close losses. Imad is a good captain, just needs to show a bit more patience.

 

[Major]

You can keep saying that the release of Rizwan and Babar was a bad decision, but it was not. They are inconsequential if they cannot play according to their pace and position. So no thanks, they can be someone else’s headache

Iftikhar might have been a poor release but Iftikhar’s PSL record and current performance is nothing to write home about

Harris and Abrar, well time will tell. Abrar can’t get into the IU side so not sure how that’s KK’s fault.

Then again, you keep saying all of these things which you would not have if KK got across the line in those 4 close losses. Imad is a good captain, just needs to show a bit more patience.

rizwan ended up winning the psl for his team. Harris and Abrar have performed at Pakistan level. Babar Azam is a blockbuster player at the moment, he was not only scoring runs but he is the ideal person to marketer.

In Pakistan the guy has been associated with so many brands, KK missed out

 

[Rana]

The kind of overseas players that are not playing PSL but KK desperately needs

1. Glen Maxwell

2. Marcus Stoinis

3. Andre Russell

4. Glenn Phillips

5. Ben Stokes

6. Ben Duckett

7. Dawid Malan

8. Steven Smith (potentially)

9. Aiden Markram

10. Devon Conway

Salman Iqbal needs to get to work.

 

[Rana]

The kind of overseas players that are not playing PSL but KK desperately needs

1. Glen Maxwell

2. Marcus Stoinis

3. Andre Russell

4. Glenn Phillips

5. Ben Stokes

6. Ben Duckett

7. Dawid Malan

8. Steven Smith (potentially)

9. Aiden Markram

10. Devon Conway

Salman Iqbal needs to get to work.

11. Usman Khwaja

Him batting at 3 would be a great addition to them

 

[Savak]

Tbh the problem starts with the intentions of the Franchise owner Salman Iqbal. He is not interested in Cricket beyond a point. KK is used to market ARY. ARY got the PSL rights for the next 2 years. Beyond that the owner is least interested in the PSL. Salman Iqbal is hiding outside Pakistan right now from the PML-N govt, I doubt he is even interested right now

 

[Rana]

What’s working for others but isn’t working for KK?

1. Powerful middle order batsmen who set the tone for the innings/take down spinners:

-PZ have Cadmore and Powell
-IU have Munro and Azam Khan
-Multan have Russouw, Miller and David
-Lahore have Billings and Raza, Brook if he becomes available

2. At least two reliable seamers

-LQ have 3
-Multan have done well with Abbas and Sameen chipping in
-PZ are so much better with Arshad Iqbal supporting Riaz
-IU have done OK with Farooqi, Hassan, Rumman and Faheem. Waseem jr too

(Karachi were very unlucky with the injury of Mir Hamza. He would have been great with Amir, but they still need a strong 3rd seamer who bowls 145kmh

 

[Osama Shafeeqe]

What’s working for others but isn’t working for KK?

1. Powerful middle order batsmen who set the tone for the innings/take down spinners:

-PZ have Cadmore and Powell
-IU have Munro and Azam Khan
-Multan have Russouw, Miller and David
-Lahore have Billings and Raza, Brook if he becomes available

2. At least two reliable seamers

-LQ have 3
-Multan have done well with Abbas and Sameen chipping in
-PZ are so much better with Arshad Iqbal supporting Riaz
-IU have done OK with Farooqi, Hassan, Rumman and Faheem. Waseem jr too

(Karachi were very unlucky with the injury of Mir Hamza. He would have been great with Amir, but they still need a strong 3rd seamer who bowls 145kmh

Why didn't Imad promote himself in front of Malik then if he was in such good form, him as captain had the full authority to do so. He could of been the middle order batsman that Karachi needed.

Reality is, Imad is a average batsman that has made most of his runs against a wet ball and short boundaries at the end of the innings and has failed to chase targets multiple times. He has consistently shown that he is average at best against good bowling line ups in international matches.

Comparing him to Babar and Rizwan as a batsman is like comparing Shahid Afridi to Tendulkar. There is simply no comparison!

 

[Rana]

Why didn't Imad promote himself in front of Malik then if he was in such good form, him as captain had the full authority to do so. He could of been the middle order batsman that Karachi needed.

Reality is, Imad is a average batsman that has made most of his runs against a wet ball and short boundaries at the end of the innings and has failed to chase targets multiple times. He has consistently shown that he is average at best against good bowling line ups in international matches.

Comparing him to Babar and Rizwan as a batsman is like comparing Shahid Afridi to Tendulkar. There is simply no comparison!

I called this out on my misuse of power thread. Yes Imad was hiding behind Malik, should not have been.

And yes you can compare Imad’s batting in this tournament to Babar and Rizwan. Rizwan is a failed middle order batsman turned anchor as T20 opener.

Imad is not a failed middle order batsman.

 

[Savak]

KK fans should demand that KK investors put pressure on Salman Iqbal to run the Franchise properly or they will pull their investments. If Lahore Qalandars can create a marketable brand and develop fan engagement with their fans then Karachi Kings should be able to do the same given that the team represents the biggest city in Pakistan.

 

[shamaan]

Imad in consistency in selection.

 

[Saj]

I think any franchise at the PSL that is struggling has to look inwards - that is from top to bottom.

The owners, the management, the coaches, the skipper, the players, the people who were responsible for drafting players are all to blame.

I don't think it's one person or one area of weakness.

One thing that is clear was that they had a number of players both Pakistani and overseas who have had miserable tournaments. When they get their pay cheques for the tournament I hope they look at their performance and think about whether they have truly earned their money.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I think any franchise at the PSL that is struggling has to look inwards - that is from top to bottom.

The owners, the management, the coaches, the skipper, the players, the people who were responsible for drafting players are all to blame.

I don't think it's one person or one area of weakness.

One thing that is clear was that they had a number of players both Pakistani and overseas who have had miserable tournaments. When they get their pay cheques for the tournament I hope they look at their performance and think about whether they have truly earned their money.

Do you have any links with Peter Moores?

Would be an interesting interview to see his thoughts on last year and how the inner workings of the franchise operates.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Rana
anyone who expected kk to do better with the squad they selected was fooling himself.

 

[Rana]

Rana
anyone who expected kk to do better with the squad they selected was fooling himself.

They didn’t do to bad

Should have won 4 games they lost

 

[BunnyRabbit]

They didn’t do to bad

Should have won 4 games they lost

But they didn't. And they're at the bottom. Poor stuff from the second most expansive PSL franchise.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Do you have any links with Peter Moores?

Would be an interesting interview to see his thoughts on last year and how the inner workings of the franchise operates.

Peter Moores has been a failure of an LOI coach at the big stage. I won't be surprised if he was the one who suggested KK to select guys like Lammonby, Cockbain, Thompson, Abell etc last year. Gregory was a decent pick though.

 

[Rana]

But they didn't. And they're at the bottom. Poor stuff from the second most expansive PSL franchise.

They need help. They should not be stubborn to accept it. I am not even joking when I say I am more than willing to help them voluntarily and help them identify the weaknesses in their squad, playing XI and strategy. They are not in the dumps, the basis of a good franchise is there, they just need the right tweaks to make them title challengers which I know they will become

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Peter Moores has been a failure of an LOI coach at the big stage. I won't be surprised if he was the one who suggested KK to select guys like Lammonby, Cockbain, Thompson, Abell etc last year. Gregory was a decent pick though.

He's a decent coach, he could provide an insight into what's going on behind the scenes in the franchise.

The fact that they have changed coach and captain but still finished right at the bottom means that there is something not quite right in the set up.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

He's a decent coach, he could provide an insight into what's going on behind the scenes in the franchise.

The fact that they have changed coach and captain but still finished right at the bottom means that there is something not quite right in the set up.

There's no vision. Their core isn't good enough either. There is no continuity. They probably don't even know what sort of team they want. Wasim keeps saying 140 pe karata hai about every pacer when asked. There's lack of local player investment.
KK seems to cater to media more than cricket. They've been complacent since winning it in 2020. Even when t10 was launched, they were more concerned about their players speaking good stuff about t10 rather than psl.

LQ provides a good example of doing stuff with local investment. They do talent hunts, their local players get developed in the backgrounds. (I am not an LQ fan though)

MS are structurally very cohesive. They know what they want, they are clear about what kind of team they want to build and they go about their business like that.

IU isn't much involved with the talent hunts, but again they have a goal about what sort of team they want. They keep their local and foreign core happy (making arrangements for the likes of Munro, Stirling etc in advance to make sure they are happy and earning well despite being in gold and silver). They invest more in bowlers than in batters and depend on oversees batters mainly.

 

[Rana]

This is the kind of team KK need next season,

1. Vince
2. Sharjeel/Tayyab
3. Markram (os)
4. Phillips (os)
5. Imad (c)
6. Haseebullah (if not retained)
7. Jamal (if not retained)
8. Yamin
9. Amir
10. Shamsi (os)
11. Hamza

Need to be very smart in the draft. They need 2 powerhouse middle order batsmen to replace Haider and Malik

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

This is the kind of team KK need next season,

1. Vince
2. Sharjeel/Tayyab
3. Markram (os)
4. Phillips (os)
5. Imad (c)
6. Haseebullah (if not retained)
7. Jamal (if not retained)
8. Yamin
9. Amir
10. Shamsi (os)
11. Hamza

Need to be very smart in the draft. They need 2 powerhouse middle order batsmen to replace Haider and Malik

You see, PZ are not Karachi where they let their best young talents go. Which is why I laughed when I read Haseebullah on there.

Also, it’s very unlikely that you’ll see active NZ players in the PSL draft, ever because of how concurrent their home test season runs with the PSL. So that’s Phillips out.

Also, I’m still bemused by the fascination w/ Yamin. If that guy is making any franchise’s starting XI consistently, then the draft has not gone to plan.

I think both Jamal and Markram are actually good shouts.

Whatever they do, they need to go for the best young players in Pakistan.

Because remember, foreign players win you matches but local players win you tournaments.

 

[Rana]

You see, PZ are not Karachi where they let their best young talents go. Which is why I laughed when I read Haseebullah on there.

Also, it’s very unlikely that you’ll see active NZ players in the PSL draft, ever because of how concurrent their home test season runs with the PSL. So that’s Phillips out.

Also, I’m still bemused by the fascination w/ Yamin. If that guy is making any franchise’s starting XI consistently, then the draft has not gone to plan.

I think both Jamal and Markram are actually good shouts.

Whatever they do, they need to go for the best young players in Pakistan.

Because remember, foreign players win you matches but local players win you tournaments.

How many players can a franchise retain?

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

How many players can a franchise retain?

Going on past precedents, a franchise can retain 8 players. However, Franchises also have a ‘right-to-match’ card that they can play once in the draft. This basically means that if another team drafts a player that played for you in the previous year, you can use your card and take the player back to your squad.

So 8 official retentions allowed plus 1 more via the draft.

However, from what I’ve seen, most teams end up picking the same-ish squads because other teams aren’t as interested in certain players.

 

[shamaan]

You see, PZ are not Karachi where they let their best young talents go. Which is why I laughed when I read Haseebullah on there.

Also, it’s very unlikely that you’ll see active NZ players in the PSL draft, ever because of how concurrent their home test season runs with the PSL. So that’s Phillips out.

Also, I’m still bemused by the fascination w/ Yamin. If that guy is making any franchise’s starting XI consistently, then the draft has not gone to plan.

I think both Jamal and Markram are actually good shouts.

Whatever they do, they need to go for the best young players in Pakistan.

Because remember, foreign players win you matches but local players win you tournaments.

This is why I was disappointed that Qasim wasn't given a longer run pluss he was used wrongly.

 

[MenInG]

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.

ARY

 

[Haleem-ul-Hassan]

The ONE thing that seems to be the biggest issue with Karachi this season is lack of consistency in selection. Thats it. They panicked too much. Were too immature. Chopped and shuffled and scrambled their players every god damn match. Had they stuck to the same team for four matches straight, all the players would have bonded together and played like a team. Also Imad seemed to be having more faith in useless overseas players rather than local fresh talent.

So in short, entire blame goes on the two Wasims in charge if this confused experimental team…

 

[Saj]

Imad Wasim | Karachi Kings captain after today's win over LQ:

We should've won the first couple of games. All the games we've won, we've won by big margins. Positives are that the youngsters proved themselves. We gelled together despite being out the tournament and we played for the pride of Karachi. It's very frustrating, game awareness is key in T20 cricket. The way we played cricket throughout the tournament was fantastic. Captaincy puts a lot of pressure especially when your side is losing. Selecting the playing XI is very difficult, we had so many injuries as well. Our focus is to give opportunities to emerging talent. One thing we lacked was game awareness, about when to attack and when to defend. My performance was okay but if the team is not winning it doesn't matter. It's a team game so yes, I'm doing well personally but it doesn't matter. Hopefully we can come back and do well next year.

 

[Saj]

*‘Would be happier if my team got through,’ Imad on his brilliance in PSL 8*

Lahore, 13 March 2023:

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.

 

[Savak]

Wasim Akram official title is President of the Karachi Kings Franchise. He is continuously present in the dressing room but not once did he bother to address the press and explain what went wrong. People want answers.

 

[moghul]

Only team with no current Pakistan team player , very poor selection of foreign players also . Imad and Amir can't win matches for the team every day.

I would blame Wasim Akram more than anyone.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Only team with no current Pakistan team player , very poor selection of foreign players also . Imad and Amir can't win matches for the team every day.

I would blame Wasim Akram more than anyone.

They mainly won when Amir wasn't playing or had limped off injured

 

[SamNJ]

Had they beaten Peshawar in one of their games they would be in play offs.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="ztIix5N"><a href="https://imgur.com/ztIix5N">View post on imgur.com</a></blockquote><script async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


"You supported us throughout but unfortunately results didn't go our way. We played good cricket. Had we won 3-4 close games, we would have been into the playoffs"

"I know all the fans are sad but we are too. We will go and plan better to comeback strongly next year,"

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

<blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="ztIix5N"><a href="https://imgur.com/ztIix5N">View post on imgur.com</a></blockquote><script async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


"You supported us throughout but unfortunately results didn't go our way. We played good cricket. Had we won 3-4 close games, we would have been into the playoffs"

"I know all the fans are sad but we are too. We will go and plan better to comeback strongly next year,"

Wow.

A few points on this.

- Very disappointing that the KK top brass didn’t front up in this video instead of Imad. It’s more their failure than it is his (Although he played a large part).

- Found the sombre music hilarious. Straight out of 1990s Pak teleserial.

- Imad puzzlingly talks about how they played well this tournament and missed out on the playoffs because of a few close finishes. I profoundly disagree. LQ can be proud of their league form. So can MS. KK played horrible cricket for many parts of this season, and it’s worrying that Imad doesn’t recognise that, and the top brass don’t realise it either.

If I was a KK fan, this video would make me feel less optimistic for next year.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

They need to get rid of non serious cricketers like Amir and ditch the oldies in Malik and Sharjeel.

They also need some proper overseas scouting to take place so they don't pick players that are on their last leagues such as Tahir, Cutting, Wade and Tye.

A massive overhaul is needed.

 

[Firebat]

Almost every player in their squad is dead weight. They have to start from scratch really.