LAHORE: Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez, the most experienced player of Lahore Qalandars, on Saturday admitted that the overall performance of his team was not good in the opening match against Multan Sultans in the HBL Pakistan Super League while winning side’s hero Moeen Ali termed the victory as a good start in the league in their pressers here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday night.

“I will not blame anyone over the defeat at the hands of Multan Sultans but it is a fact we could not play to our true potential in the first game,” Hafeez said.

Qalandars, who finished at the bottom in all the previous four editions of the HBL PSL, lost to Multan Sultans by five wickets in the low-scoring match to also maintain the streak of losing the opening game of the league.

In first edition in 2016, the Qalandars started off with a six runs defeat at the hands of Karachi Kings and next year in 2017, they faltered against Quetta Gladiators, losing the inaugural match by eight runs.

In 2018 they were beaten by Multan Sultans, who were appearing for the first time in the PSL.

They lost by a 43-run margin. In 2019, Qalandars were defeated by Islamabad United in the first match by seven runs and now in 2020, they have met with the same fate in the inaugural game of the fifth PSL edition

Hafeez said defeat is always a defeat and admitting it is the only way to move forward. “A total of 180 was expected when the openers Chris Lynn and Fakhar Zaman were batting so well.

But a batting collapse in mid overs spoiled our plans,” he said.

Meanwhile, Multan’s Moeen, who tilted the match in his team’s favour by removing both openers, said: “Both Lynn and Fakhar are very dangerous players and they had set the foundation for a big total. But it is good that we restricted Qalandars in the end.”

Moeen said after breaking the opening partnership, his bowlers bowled at the nagging length while the fielders also did a fine job.

Moeen said the PSL was popular as the people all over the world have been talking about it and about the loving people of this country.

He said the entire cricketing world wanted the resumption of international cricket in Pakistan and added that the the England team could also visit Pakistan in near future.

Moeen said Andy Flower and Mushtaq Ahmad convinced him to come to Pakistan to participate in the league and he is enjoying his cricket here.

He disclosed that he had come to Pakistan after a long period of 15 years and he would also go to Azad Kashmir, the native state of his mother.

“Both my mother and grand-mother were born in Pakistan,” he said.

Despite the fact that Lahore Qalandars were playing their first match in at their home ground in the five-year history of PSL, the response of Lahorities for the match was quite disappointing as hardly 5,000 spectators turned up at the stadium to watch the match.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2020